The Other Half
by Kickbutt 297
Summary: Everyone has mood swingssometimes you're really happy, and other times, you're just NOT in the mood. But what if all those personalities could be seperated? Worse...what if CINDY'S could? o.o
1. Default Chapter

The other half

By: Kickbutt 297

**PART 1- The Sides Are Unleashed**

Jimmy: It's finally finished, Carl.

Jimmy stands back and admires his genius. Carl stands beside him and gawks. 

Carl: Well...ah...the colors' nice."

Jimmy: The color?! Do you know what this thing is?

Carl: Oh...Oh yeah! I know what it is!

He smiles. Jimmy folds his arms and gives Carl a look that says "out with it".

Jimmy: You don't have a clue, do you?

Carl: Nope.

Jimmy: [exasperated] It's a Personality Separator!

Carl: Personaliky seperwhat?

Jimmy: This baby can separate anyone's personality from their body! For instance, if we put a crazy guy in here, he'd be turned sane with just a flick of a switch. 

Carl pulls out his inhaler and breaths deep. 

Carl: I dunno, Jim. *inhale* It sounds pret-ty dangerous to me."

Jimmy: Naw, Carl, it's completely safe and well put together!...if I do say so myself. 

He rubs his nails on his T-shirt with a satisfied look. 

Carl: Ah, Jimmy?...Where are we gonna get a crazy guy?

Jimmy: Gee, I never...

Jimmy blinks surprisingly and looks toward Carl, annoyed.

Jimmy: Wait-Carl! We're not gonna use a crazy guy for _real_, that was just an example. 

Carl: Oh...but you know, seeing a crazy guy's craziness would be pretty neat.

Jimmy: No neater than the person we're gonna split up. 

He rubs his hands together the way all the mad scientists do in the cartoons and puts a crazy look on his face. 

Carl: Jim...could you not be scary today?

Jimmy: C'mon-we have a plan to put into action.

Carl: That doesn't sound good. 

Jimmy: Don't worry, Carl! We just need to stop and get a lab rat.

Jimmy looks toward the camera.

Jimmy: And I do mean "rat".

We see Jimmy's hand knock on a green door. It opens to Cindy smiling, though as soon as she sees who's at her door, her smile drops into a frown. Jimmy smiles weakly. 

Jimmy: Hey Vor...Cindy! Ah...I was just wondering-

Cindy: Is this a favor?

Cindy still has her hand on the inside door knob. Her other arm is hanging limply by her side, and she has a look that shows not even an inch of enthusiasm.

Jimmy: No! No, no, no, no, no-no way!

He grins wide in hopes of a response. Cindy's expression doesn't change. Jimmy's grin turns to a frown.

Jimmy: Please?

SLAM! Jimmy rears back a bit from the sound of the door slamming. 

Jimmy: [calling] Oh, come on, Cindy! It's just one little thing!

No answer.

Jimmy: Cindy!

The door flies open and before Jimmy realizes what's happening, Cindy has him plucked up off the ground by his hair so his face is in front of hers.

Jimmy: Ow-OW!

Cindy: One more word NERD-TRON! and you won't have a mouth to yell out anymore. _Gut it _?

She drops him to the ground and walks back into her house, slamming the door behind her. Jimmy brushes himself off and puts on a persuasive face.

Jimmyy: Too bad Cindy doesn't want to help me record a new song some band full of muscular and amazingly attractive boys sent me-

Jimmy takes a deep breath and shrugs. 

Jimmy: Oh well. 

Jimmy waits a minute as loud bangs are heard from inside from someone running down stairs. As soon as the bangs are close, Jimmy turns and starts to walk casually away. As he walks, he mumbles...

Jimmy: Three, two, one-

The door to the house flies open and out of it flies Cindy. She stops in front of Jimmy with an enthusiastic smile. 

Cindy: You wanted help with something, Jimmy?

Jimmy: Well...

Scene splits to Jimmy leading Cindy down to his lab-Cindy has a handkerchief tied around her eyes so she doesn't discover the location of the lab. When they're in the same room as the Personality Separator, Jimmy guides her over towards the door. 

Jimmy: We're almost there...

Cindy: Geez, Neutron, whatda' ya think I'd do if I knew where your lab was, anyway?

Jimmy: Tell the school and charge admission.

A small pause...

Cindy: So?

Jimmy mouths to Carl in the corner to open the door to the machine. Carl tip- toes over and opens the door with a small squeak.

Jimmy: We're here!

Quickly, Jimmy pulls one part of the handkerchief and pulls it off just as he shuts the door and drops a metal latch through a small slot, locking Cindy inside. Cindy blinks once and whips around. She clenches her hands into fists.

Cindy: NEUTRON, YOU CREEP! LET ME OUTTA THIS THING!

Jimmy pulls a sly look and points a thoughtful finger.

Jimmy: Not until I'm positive that my Personality Separator is working properly.

Cindy: Whatta think I am?! I lab rat?!

Jimmy throws her a look and she puts on an annoyed face and points a threatening finger. 

Cindy: Don't answer that. 

Jimmy: Don't worry, Vortex, you'll be out before you know it, just like you are now!

He covers his mouth and whispers to the camera. 

Jimmy: With no sense of who you are and no way to communicate. 

Jimmy pulls out a remote control and pushes a button labeled:

A C T I V A T E

You hear an engine start up, and slowly, the tank Cindy's standing in starts to get brighter and brighter. Cindy pounds on the tanks sides with her fists. 

Cindy: Isn't there _any _way to break outta here?!

Jimmy: Disturbing the activation system will probably blow the circuits in the turbo engine and cause a nuclear explosion, but _do _keep pounding. 

Cindy hunches her shoulders up, lowers her head, grits her teeth and makes a low humming sound that slowly rises, until the tank gets really bright. She forgets her anger in the hum of the machine and the sound of a slow steady climbing as the tank gets brighter and brighter. Cindy looks nervously up as the top of the machine starts to spew blue sparks, and the tank glows any eerie bright green. She steps one foot backwards uncertainly before the blue sparks reach inside the tank. Jimmy gasps. His jaw drops at this site-he knows something's wrong. His eye brows are raised in a look of complete shock. 

Jimmy: It's gonna blow!

Him and Carl run behind a stack of metal barrels that have a hazard sign on the side of them. They cover their heads with their arms to shield the blast. 

BOOM!

The tank explodes in a bright green light, shattering the plastic around it. Jimmy opens one eye and peeks through his crossed arms at the site. He drops his arms and gasps. Lying on the ground, dirty and beat-up, was Cindy.

Jimmy: Cindy! 

He runs over with Carl behind him.

Carl: Uh oh...this isn't good, is it?

Jimmy looks really concerned. He takes Cindy's shoulders gently and shakes her a little.

Jimmy: Cindy?! Cindy?! Come on, Vortex, speak to me!

Cindy's eyes are shut gently, and besides a tear in her shirt and some dirt on her face below her left eye she looks ok, but she doesn't respond in any way to Jimmy's calls. 

Jimmy: Cindy?

Jimmy doesn't shake her this time. Cindy doesn't flinch. Jimmy lets go of her shoulders and places her gently on the ground with a deep breath. Instead of letting it out, her puts two hands on his head and shakes it slowly. 

Jimmy: Oh no, ohhhhhh no, no, no, no-

Jimmy gasps and Carl jumps behind him for cover as Cindy's color starts to drain from her feet up. Jimmy and Carl watch with surprised expressions as Cindy turns transparent. 

Carl: What's she doing?

Jimmy: I think she's draining, Carl! Aw, what I've I done!-

Jimmy suddenly looks shocked, the background goes blue, and a light bulb labeled 100 Volts shows up above his head. It's burning brightly. 

Jimmy: That's it...

Carl: What?...What?!

Jimmy jumps up from Cindy's side and whips around to Carl, grinning.

Jimmy: I did it! I did it! I split up Cindy's personality! 

Carl: How can you tell?

Jimmy: That's why she's fading! Without her personality, there's nothing inside her! It worked-the thing really worked! Yes!

He fisted his hand and brought it backwards, bending his body with it. 

Carl: Ah, Jimmy?

Jimmy: Oh, don't be offended, Carl! Even though _you _didn't try it out, I'll still give you half the money when I start selling them!

Carl: Jimmy-

Jimmy: People will pay thousands-no, MILLIONS! of dollars to see it in action! Probably BILLIONS to buy one! I'm RICH!-

Carl: JIMMY!

Carl yells this right in his ear. Jimmy looks at him speechlessly.

Carl: Where _are _Cindy's sides?

Jimmy: Sides?

Carl: Her personality...How are we gonna get it back?

Jimmy smiles.

Jimmy: Oh, that's _simple_. You just push this button and-

Suddenly, Jimmy gets the same shocked expression he did a minute ago when he realized his machine worked. This time, the back round is red, and the 100 Volts bulb is over his head, bright like before-only this time, and starts to sputter, and suddenly it explodes. Jimmy gasps deeply. 

Jimmy: Oh my-

Carl: What? What's wrong?-

Jimmy: Carl!

He grabs Carl by the shoulders and looks desperate.

Jimmy: They're on the loose! I lost Cindy's personality! 

Jimmy gasps again.

Jimmy: What will people _say_?! Poor Vortex-she was so _innocent_!

You hear a record scratch on the sad music that was playing.

Jimmy: Ok, maybe not...but the _horror_! I drained Cindy of herself-her soul! It's GONE! It's-

Jimmy puts on a sinister looks and looks at Carl slyly. 

Carl: Uh oh.

Jimmy: Say Carl...if Cindy's personality isn't _here_...It must be...

Jimmy pulls a pair of X-Ray glasses from a nearby table, puts them on Carl, and turns him to the wall. We see what Carl sees, which is the outside. 

Jimmy: Out _there_-

Carl: Oh no, I see what's comn'! You're gonna somehow go out there and find Cindy's personality?

Jimmy: Yeah...so?

Carl: So?! SO?! Do you _know _how many sides a person can have?...and Cindy had a _lot _of sides.

Jimmy: Don't say had...she still _has_ her sides, they're just...separated from her body, that's all. Yeah! And she's unable to talk, eat, drink, walk, or do any other necessary things to stay alive.

Jimmy smiles hopefully and Carl puts on a relieved expression. 

Carl: That's good, I thought she was dead.

Jimmy puts on a blank face, but then a sympathetic one as he looks down at the glass-like Cindy. Suddenly, his expression becomes determined. 

Jimmy: Carl, we're gonna get back Cindy's personality, no matter what it takes. I made her this way. I've got to clean up the mess I've created before it's too late-and besides that-

Jimmy suddenly becomes panicky. 

Jimmy: We _have _to get her sides back before they _destroy _Retroville!

****

PART 2- The Girl Side

Jimmy and Carl are already running down the street.

Jimmy: Look for any signs of Cindy or destruction!

Carl: How much damage can her personality _do_?

Jimmy: _Unthinkable_, Carl. We need to find those sides!

Jimmy suddenly stops with a screech on his shoes as he sees Sheen walking down the street, reading an Ultralord comic. 

Jimmy: Sheen!

Sheen turns around. 

Sheen: Oh, hey Jim!

Jimmy runs over and stops in front of him; Carl runs after Jimmy.

Jimmy: Did you see Cindy walking down here?

Sheen: Yeah, I-wait, no, that wasn't her. 

Jimmy: But this girl _looked _like Vortex, right?

Sheen: Almost _exactly _like her! But I knew it wasn't her...I mean, since when does Cindy where high-top shoes, a belly shirt, bell bottoms _and _her hair down? Trust me, it wasn't her. 

Jimmy looks down at the sidewalk with a thoughtful hand on his chin.

Jimmy: Her _Girl _side...

Sheen: What?

Jimmy: Which way did she go?!

Jimmy's really excited by now. Sheen rears his head back a little and points down the street without taking his eyes off Jim.

Sheen: That way.

Jimmy: Thanks! C'mon, Carl!

Jimmy starts running down the street in the direction Sheen pointed. Carl tries hard to keep up with him as Sheen shrugs and walks away.

Carl: But Jimmy! How are we gonna get her back?

Jimmy: Trust me. I got a plan. 

Jimmy stops suddenly and stares strait ahead at the Candy Bar Diner. He turns to Carl. 

Jimmy: Alright, here's what we do; I'm gonna distract her while you set up this outside.

Jimmy pulls out a small metal box with a red button on top and hands it to Carl. 

Carl: What is it?

Jimmy: This machine can pull out every single nail polish color known on the planet. If this personality really _is _ Cindy's Girl side, there's no doubt she'll fall right into our trap. Now stand out there and act natural until I give you the signal. 

Jimmy turns and walks into the diner. He acts as though he's just another customer, but he also peeks around for any sign of a girly Cindy look-alike. He spots the back of a girl with long blonde hair that matches the color of Cindy's, and walks casually around until he reaches her booth. Jimmy knows that any suspicious movements by him will automatically make her see right through him, so he moves on one more booth and pulls out a menu. He pulls up the menu high to block his face, and carefully leans to the left to look at the girl he suspected as Cindy's Girl side. 

Jimmy[ thinks]: How can that not be? The hair, the eyes, the make-up...

The girl's hair came down to about her shoulders. She has lime green eyes, just like Cindy, only with pink mascara on and pink lipstick. She has on a pink tank top with a red heart in the middle, and just as Sheen had told Jimmy, it was a belly shirt. She wore blue bell bottoms that were tight at the waist and black high tops, which she had criss-crossed on the table, filing her nails. 

Suddenly, her eyes shoot directly into Jimmy's. Jimmy gasps slightly and ducks behind his menu. The girl stares for a moment, then puts on a causal face and goes back to her filing. Jimmy snuck a peek again, and upon closer inspection saw that her nails were painted pink also. He went back behind his menu and thought out loud quietly to himself. 

Jimmy: Alright, think, Jim-How are you gonna get her in your control?

Jimmy lowered his menu once more to glance at the girl in the booth, but she was gone. Jim's expression looks surprised as he completely lowers his menu.

Jimmy jumps and pulls a small yell.

Cindy's Girl side is sitting right across from him in his booth, her feet up on his table, looking annoyed.

Girl: Hey.

Jimmy: Uh...hi?

Girl: Problem?

Jimmy: No! No, no...I just-

Girl: You're just peeking?

Jimmy:...excuse me?

Girl: It's not like I'm blind or something.

Jimmy: Oh! Oh, uh...sorry, but I thought-

Girl: I was a prep-

Jimmy opens his mouth to answer, but she keeps on going at a fast pace.

Girl: Wrong I have three awards from the Beauty Salon school in West California I've gone through fifteen boy friends but it's not like you care so anyway are you in like fifth grade me too my friends tell me there's like this _totally _ hot guy named Nick Dean I'm _dying _to get a glimpse of him I wonder if he's seeing anyone do you know if he's seeing anyone How are my nails?

The Girl side sticks her fingers together and shows her hand to Jimmy from a distance. Jimmy blinks once with a small blink sound, then blinks again with a higher blink sound. The Girl side suddenly has a look of pity.

Girl: Oh, I'm sorry-I forgot you're not _in _with that.

Jimmy: In? Whatdda mean..._in_?

Girl: The hair, the clothes-you're not popular, are you?

Jimmy: No...but I stopped an alien race of mutant eggs from taking over the planet-

Girl: Ok, that's, like, _nice _and all but any popular boy knows that the new blue shorts are blue _green_, Hair Boy, not _blue_. 

As she says this she continues to file her nails. Jimmy takes this chance and glances out the window at Carl, who's holding the little tin box in his hands. Jimmy nods slightly and Carl presses the button, causing the machine to open and set up a stand with shelf upon shelf of nail polish-and just like Jimmy said, it appears to have every color of polish possible. The Girl side looks up from her filing at Jimmy as she continues to talk, but stops abruptly as she notices Jim looking out the window. She follows his gaze and gasps loudly. Jimmy hears her and turn his attention to her.

Girl: Oh, my gosh! They have it! Tropical _pink_! 

She makes a girly sound and looks at Jim. 

Girl: It was, like, nice _chating _and all that, but they have, like, _exactly_ what I'm looking for!

She giggles in a squeaky tone, jumps up from her seat and leaves the diner. Jim waits until she leaves, then follows her out to the booth. He ducks behind a bush and watches the Girl side as she checks out the booth. Jimmy pulls out a walkie-talkie from his backpack and covers his mouth with his hand. 

Jimmy: Goddard! Wake up, boy!

Back at Jimmy's lab, Goddard wakes out of a sound sleep and an antenna popes out of his head. He looks alert.

Jimmy: Meet me at the Candy Bar! And _run_ there, don't fly! 

Goddard hopes out of his bed over to a small transportation tube beside the one Jimmy uses to get into his lab. He flies upward into the wooden club house and runs out the door. VOX shuts the door automatically behind him. 

As Jimmy waits behind the bush for his Goddard, the Girl side is ecstatic about the nail polish booth. 

Girl: I cannot _believe _you got this color!

Carl: Um...yeah! Oh-_every_ colors' here-

Girl: Can I ask you one question?

Carl: Ok...

Just like with Jimmy...

Girl: Why do they call the pink tropical does that mean it's from, like, the _tropics _or something because if it isn't that's like against the laws of pampering ya know it really _bugs _me when people name things and the names don't mean a thing about them ya know like forest green does that mean it really comes from the forest it better not because that means I'm, like, _painting _my nails with stuff from the woods ya know?

Carl: ...Yeah, um, what was that about...the pink?

Voice: Don't move!

Carl looks up and the Girl turns around, surprised. 

Jimmy's standing holding what looks like the suction piece on a vacuum cleaner that connects to a small box Jimmy's equipped to his back. Goddard stands beside him, points an ear to the mini-vacuum machine, looks at the camera, and winks with a toothy grin. The Girl suddenly looks casual.

Girl: Oh, it's you.

Jimmy: C'mon, you're going back to your physical form!

Girl: Oh yeah?

Girl reaches behind her back, and out of nowhere, pulls out a large pink gun and a belt that hangs over her shoulder holding different tubes of lipstick in the place of bullets. She places her hand on a large part in fron tog the trigger, and moves it forward and back with a "click", like loading a rifle. She points it right at Jimmy and smirks wickedly. 

Girl: Talk to the barrel!

POW! Pink glazed nail polish comes streaming out from the barrel of the gun and hits Jimmy with a force that sends him flying out in front of the Candy Bar. Girl cackles with delight. 

Girl: Ha! There's no _way _you're gonna be able to awaken the core if you can't beat an outer side!

Jimmy's a bit dazed, but gets up off the ground ok-until he looks down at himself. 

Jimmy: Ahhh! I'm PINK!

Girl: And you'll STAY pink-FOREVER!

She starts to cackle devilishly as Carl picks up a bottle of purple nail polish and yells over to Jimmy. 

Carl: Jimmy! Catch!

As Carl tosses the bottle over to Jim, it's shown in slow motion so you get the full effect. The minute Jimmy's fingers touch the bottle, the scene goes back to it's regular speed. Jimmy quickly starts to unscrew the top, but is interrupted by another blast from Girl's gun. Holding on tight to the bottle

[ his only defense], Jimmy jumps to the side in order to dodge the polish. He falls flat on the ground and is forced to scramble to the left as Girl attempts to hit him again with her pink polish power. As soon as Jimmy's out of the way, he manages to get the cover off his purple polish and whips the bottle at the Girl side. It breaks on her and she squeals. 

Girl: Eeeek! Oh...my gosh! Pink _sooooo_ does _not _go with purple! 

Jimmy: And _you _don't belong outside your form!

Lifting the vacuum and clicking a red switch forward to ON, Jimmy starts to suck the Girl side up into the vacuum bag. Surprisingly, she laughs and aims her gun at the mouth of the vacuum. Pushing a special green flower on the side of her gun, Girl shoots a huge ball of something right into the mouth of the suction tube, stuffing it and causing it to go haywire. 

Jimmy: Huh?!

The metal box on his back starts to smoke, and small sparks start to shoot out from the top. Girl laughs with the thought that she's won. 

Girl: Physical form? I failed physics!

Carl: What now, Jimmy?!

Jimmy looks at the mouth of the suction tube to see a huge ball of chewed gum, oozing over with drool. 

Girl: You like that? Chewed it during gym class when I told the volley ball teacher I was sick.

Carl: Were you?

Girl: _No_, like...a _hundred _more times worse! My nails were, like, _drying _! Can you imagine _scratching_ the _paint_? 

She gives a small girlish squeal.

Girl: How could I _do_ that? I mean, it's so..._horrible_. 

Jimmy: That's it...

Jimmy had been thinking this whole "gum" thing over while Carl and the Girl side were talking.

Jimmy: Failed physics, huh?

Jimmy raises his suction tube and places his finger on the switch. He narrows his eyes at the Girl side. 

Jimmy: You shoulda studied. 

Jimmy's finger flips the switch on REVERSE. The gum balls goes flying out...

Girl: AHHHHHHHHHHH! MY HAIR!

SPLAT! The gum ball lands right in the top of the Girl's hair and quickly sticks to every strand of hair it can find. She goes to pull it out and in the process get drool all over her hands. 

Girl: EEEEWWWW! DROOL!

She places her hands over her ears as though to block something and grits her teeth like she's trying to fight an invisible sound. She falls to her feet like she' fighting off an ear-piercing sound. All of a sudden, she starts to glow a little pink, and her color starts to fade from her face and her clothes. Soon the Girl side's all pink and hollow. Without second thoughts, Jimmy turns the switch to ON and starts to suck the Girl side up. She bolts backwards and starts to run. Suddenly she jumps up and seems to try and fly away, turning into nothing but a pink flash, but Jimmy caught her by the end of her light trail in the suction. 

Girl: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

ZAP! In a flash of pink, the Girl side is captured.

Carl: Yeay! Now we can go home now!

Jimmy: Not just yet, Carl. Like you said, Cindy has a _lot _of personalities. There's more to her than just her Girl side. 

Carl: Gosh, Jimmy, how _observant_ of you. 

Carl puts on a teasing face. Jimmy seems a little surprised at the statement, like he doesn't know what to say. He suddenly shakes his head. 

Jimmy: C'mon, Carl, I'm not in the mood!

Carl: Uh HUH, sure Jim, whatever you say. 

Jimmy suddenly sticks his head through the door to the Candy Bar at the clock on the wall-6:30.

Jimmy: Six-thirty! I'm thirty minutes and forty two seconds late!

He turns and dashes down the street. 

Jimmy: C'mon, Goddard!

Goddard quickly follows behind. Carl runs a little bit after him but soon stops. 

Carl: Wait! What am I suppose to do with this stand? Jimmy!-

Voice: Oh my gosh! Look!

Carl turns and his expression turns into a horrified look. A whole band of girls are gasping at the stand. 

Preppy Girl: Look! 

She points.

Preppy: They have it! 

All together...

Girls: TROPICAL PINK!

In a stampede of high-pitched screams, the girls come stampeeding towards the Nail Polish stand. Carl turns and starts to run away, screaming for his life, but soon the stand is trampled and falls right on top of him. 

Jimmy continues on his way home and is about to rush inside when Goddard stops him.

Goddard: Bark!

Jimmy: Not _now_, Goddard!

Goddard: Bark!

Goddard pops a mirror out of his back so Jimmy can see himself. Jimmy gasps.

Jimmy: Oh no! I'm still pink!

Suddenly, the pink starts to drain out of him. Jimmy's eyes widen with fascination as the pink color drains from his body starting from his head and ending at his shoes. 

Jimmy: What the-?

Goddard: Bark!

Jimmy looks at him, still a little surprised. 

Jimmy: You're right. I don't have time for this now, I have to get inside before Mom grounds me and Cindy's gone for good!

Jimmy slowly opens the door and looks left, then right. No sign of Mr. or Mrs. Neutron. Jimmy slowly steps inside and shuts the door _very _carefully. He begins to tip-toe upstairs and in the process hears his parents eating. Suddenly a fork slams on a plate and echoes through the house. Jimmy jumps slightly and holds back a gasp. 

Voice: That's it! I'm calling the cops!

_Oh no_, Jimmy thinks silently. _Mom's losing it! I'm grounded for sure! _ Then another voice, his father's, replies back. He doesn't sound worried or angry that Jimmy's late for supper. 

Mr. Neutron: Oh, don't worry, sugar lump. He'll be home soon-

Mrs. Neutron: Soon?! He's thirty two minutes and fifty six seconds late!

Mr. Neutron: So? I was late for dinner once when I was his age...

Believe it or not, a thoughtful face comes over Mr. Neutron and he lowers his fork stuffed with potato.

Mr. Neutron: They never did let me inside, did they?

Mrs. Neutron: Hugh, this is serious!

Mr. Neutron places a hand gently on his wife's shoulder. 

Mr. Neutron: Don't worry, Judy. He's probably on his way...if he's not hogtied in a dark alley-

Mrs. Neutron: HUGH!

Mr. Neutron: Alright, alright, I'll go out and look for 'em, ok?

Jimmy looks nervously down at Goddard-his father was leaving? To look for him? Not only was he at home this whole time, but his dad would be crossing the stairs any minute-he'd definately see him! With the top step in sight, and only five more to go, Jimmy quickly and quietly starts his way up the stairs. He reaches the top just as his dad opens the door. 

Mr. Neutron: I'll be back soon, sugar. 

Mrs. Neutron: Hugh?

Mr. Neutron: Yeah, sugar booger?

Mr. Neutron: Don't call me sugar. 

Mr. Neutron: Right...got it, sug...I mean, dearest wife person-who smells like sugar!

Mrs. Neutron sighs and continues to wash the dishes. She turns to the empty chair at the table and the meal lying in front of it, untouched. She looks worried, but turns back to her cleaning anyway. Jimmy swips his forehead and quietly takes his vacuum pack off.

Jimmy *whispers*: Phew. 

As Jimmy steps forward to go into his room, he failed to notice a small mouse sitting in front of him, watching his every move. But Goddard had been watching his suspiciously for a while now, and as Jimmy stepped forward Goddard raced ahead of him after the mouse.

Jimmy: Whoa!

He tries to contain his balance, but it's too late. Jimmy tumbles down the stairs just as his dad shuts the door. Outside, Mr. Neutron hears the loud rumble and looks annoyed. 

Mr. Neutron: Darn furnace!

He goes back inside just in time to see Jimmy tumble off the last step and land right and his feet. Jimmy starts to get up, until he notices his dad's shoes and looks up slowly into his dad's surprised face. He grins weakly.

Jimmy: A hahahah...ha. 

Goddard continued to chase the mouse until it squeezed in under Jimmy's bedroom door. Goddard thought for a moment, and suddenly a nightlight in the shape of a bone appeared above his head and suddenly lit up. Press a small button on his stomach, he became transparent and ran through the door. Looking around, we see through his eyes as his radar system scans the room for the furry intruder. Suddenly, sound is picked up from an open window in Jimmy's room. Goddard runs forward and jumps up onto the ledge just in time to see the mouse hang-gliding away. The mouse snickers behind him. 

Mouse: Sucker!

Goddard looks at the camera and a question mark appears above his head. 

Back downstairs...

Mrs. Neutron: Jimmy, you know your curfew, _especially _on a school night!

Jimmy: I'm sorry_, _Mom! There was something I had to take care of and I completely lost track of-

Jimmy stopped talking abruptly and his eyes brows raise in surprise. He looks to his mother.

Jimmy: _School_ night?

Mrs. Neutron: Yes, James, _school_. You know, that little brick building you go to Monday through Friday? It's Sunday.

Jimmy gasps and jumps up from the table. 

Mrs. Neutron: Jimmy! Where are you _going _?

Mr. Neutron: Probably got a new invention idea. I hope it's the remote controlled underwear, I've been _begging _him to make me a pair.

Mrs. Neutron: You know you just said that to me, right?

Mr. Neutron blinks and looks shyly at his wife. 

Mr. Neutron: I, uh...hafta go now.

He leaves the table slowly, keeping his head bowed so Mrs. Neutron doesn't see him blushing. Mrs. Neutron drops the dish she's cleaning and walks over to the stairs in a way that says she isn't very happy. 

Mrs. Neutron: James Issac Neutron! Get down here!

Jimmy hears this through his closed bedroom door...that's not a good sign. He looks toward Goddard desperately. 

Jimmy: Any ideas?

Goddard pops open his back and out pops a banana. Like in the Cady Bar, Jimmy blinks twice with those little xylophone sounds and mopes over to his door looking sad. 

Jimmy: Forget it. 

He opens the door and walks down the stairs with his head bowed down to his mother, who has her hands folded and a scowl on her face. 

Mrs. Neutron: _You _aren't going anywhere until all those dishes are washed!

Jimmy: But Mom-

Mrs. Neutron: _No buts_, Jimmy. You're grounded!

Jimmy: But-

Mrs. Neutron: Ah! That's it!

Just as she's finished the phone rings. As Mrs. Neutron goes to get, Jimmy walks over depressingly to the sink, picks up a scrounge and starts to scrub. Meanwhile, he can her his mom on the phone...

Mrs. Neutron: Hello?...No, she's not here, have you tried Libby's?

Jimmy stops what he's doing and turns to watch his mom on the phone. Now she looks worried. 

Mrs. Neutron: No, I haven't seen her...of course. Oh, no problem. I'm sure she must have lost track of time and she's on her way. Your welcome...bye.

She hangs up and looks toward Jimmy with an unsure face. 

Mrs. Neutron: That was Mrs. Vortex, Jimmy. 

Jimmy: Yeah?

He tries to keep the nervousness out of his voice. 

Mrs. Neutron: Yes...she says Cindy headed over here with you the last time she saw her. 

Jimmy started scrubbing the pan again and tries to keep his eyes off his mother's. He looks over at Mrs. Neutron. She's watching him as though waiting for an answer. Jimmy drops the scrounge and the pan and looks toward his mother. 

Jimmy: You think it was me?

Mrs. Neutron: I heard a very large noise outside today coming out of that shack of yours.

Jimmy: Don't you always hear funny noises coming outta there?

Mrs. Neutron: Jimmy, so help me, if you did any..._experiments _on Cindy I _swear _-

Jimmy: Mom, do you really think I'd do that?

Mrs. Neutron opens her mouth as though to say something but suddenly looks toward the floor. She rubs Jimmy's hair gently. 

Mrs. Neutron: No, I suppose not...

Jimmy smiles hopefully...

Mrs. Neutron: You're still grounded.

Jimmy: Awwww. 

After a full hour of washing, rinsing, and putting-awaying, Jimmy slugs upstairs to bed. Just as his mom passes the stairs, Jimmy notices and yawns really loud on purpose. Mrs. Neutron looks up. 

Mrs. Neutron: Jimmy? Where are you going?

Jimmy: Oh, gosh, Mom...I'm so _bushed _from all that _scrubbing_ , I'm just gonna go strait to bed. 

Mrs. Neutron: Really? Do you feel alright? This isn't like you.

Jimmy: Oh yeah, I'm fine, just _tired_. 

He stretches to further convince Mrs. Neutron. 

Jimmy: G'night, Mom.

Mrs. Neutron: Ok...good night, then, Jimmy.

As Jimmy shuts the door, still looking sleepy, he goes into his closet and pulls out the vacuum. 

Jimmy: Goddard, I need you to make me a ladder. No one can see us flying out of my window.

He looks over at his side, but his faithful bucket of bolts isn't there. 

Jimmy: Goddard?

The door opens, and in walks Goddard covered from head to toe in thick yellow stuff. He walks into the room and sits beside Jimmy with an angry face. Jimmy stares at the yellow stuff for a moment, and suddenly bends down to smell it. His eyes get big as he sniffs, and he backs away with his nose pinched. He waves the air around him, trying to fan the aroma away. 

Jimmy: Aw, that _reaks_! Is that...*sniff* *sniff*...stinky cheese?

Goddard suddenly spits out a small piece of paper with a note scribbled on it. 

Jimmy: Don't ask.

He looks toward the camera and shrugs. 

As Jimmy hops off the last step down the ladder and sneaks past the house and down the street, Goddard gets curious. 

Goddard: Bark!

Jimmy: What?

Goddard: Bark bark!

He bends down and wags his tail. Jimmy stops in the light of a street light. 

Jimmy: What's wrong?

Goddard: You know...

Jimmy thinks for a moment, and suddenly a surprised look comes over his face. He then looks down at Goddard with a bogus face. 

Jimmy: No way! This isn't about her at all! I just don't want to get in trouble, that's all! 

Goddard: Mmmmm HMM.

Jimmy: I'm already grounded!

Goddard continues to walk without looking at him, so Jimmy follows. It's silent for a while, and suddenly Jimmy looks at Goddard with pitiful eyes. 

Jimmy: Alright, I feel bad, ok?

Goddard looks up curiously. Jimmy tries to explain. 

Jimmy: I mean, it _is_ my fault. If I hadn't forgotten the holding chambers for her personalities, none of this wouldve' happened. Besides, I tricked her into trying the Personality Separator in the first place. I didn't think it would hurt...

Jimmy bows his head as he walks. 

Jimmy: But it did. It hurt Cindy bad-_really _bad, and if I don't get her sides back soon, I don't know what'll happen to her.

Goddard jumps into Jimmy arms and licks his face. Jim smiles.

Voice: Uh huh.

Jimmy whips around to find Carl with his arms crossed, smiling wickedly. Jimmy gasps. 

Jimmy: If you tell anyone I said that-

Carl: Don't worry, I won't. 

He starts to walk with them and it's quite for a while, until Carl smiles. 

Carl: I knew you felt that way, anyway.

Jimmy: Carl...!

Down the street in front of The World of Rugs, Jimmy stops and looks toward Carl.

Jimmy: Ok Carl, here's the plan. Chalk, Goddard.

Goddard spits out a piece of red chalk and Jimmy starts to draw out a plan.

Jimmy: Ok, here we are at Rug World, and here's the Candy Bar. If we found the Girl side here-

He points to the Candy Bar drawing. 

Jimmy: Than her other personalities can't be far!

Carl: But Jimmy, we don't even know what her other sides _are_ !

Jimmy: Oh, come on, Carl, it can't be _that _hard to find a Cindy look-alike roaming the streets at this hour.

AHHHHHHHHHHH!

Jimmy whips around and Carl cowers behind his back. Jimmy points. 

Jimmy: The bakery! Come on!

He dashes over with Goddard at his side and Carl at his heels.

****

PART 3-A Crazy Situation...literally

As Jimmy nears the bakery, the door flies open and he's knocked down to the ground. A large woman with a tight dress and apron on comes flying out of the bakery, screaming. Jimmy rubs his head and watches her go with a dazed look, and suddenly a large man comes out with a chef's hat and an apron on...only this guy's covered from head to toe with pies. There's pie filling all over him and a tin foil plate plastered to his front side where he was obviously hit with a pie. He looks at them desperately and waves his arms. 

Man: Crazy clown! Run for your LIFE! 

He runs away following the woman and yelling like she is. He doesn't know he has two tin-foil pie trays smacked onto his butt. Jimmy jumps up and starts after them. 

Jimmy: Hey! Wait!

He stops short as he realizes he's not gonna catch them. 

Voice: WHOOOOOO HAHAHAHAHA!

Jimmy whips around as Carl looks at the open bakery door and Goddard jumps up, pointing on one foot strait into the bakery. Jimmy walks slowly over, places a hand on the side of the doorway, and peeks in. The whole room is covered with pie filling, whip cream and other gooey goodies. Jimmy looks around to find no one else in the room.

Jimmy: I wonder what happened?

Carl: Maybe it's one of Cindy's sides?! 

Jimmy: I don't see anything...

Jimmy walks inside slowly and looks around as he walks toward the counter, inspecting every inch for some clue that this was the work of a personality. He reaches the counter with Carl and Goddard in front of the door, looking nervous. Jimmy peeks over the edge of the counter...

BOO!

Jimmy: AH!

Jimmy jumps back looking surprised as a rather small thing jumps up on the counter. Jimmy steps back a little and trips over a pile of pies, knocking them down. As he scrambles backward, whip cream drips from the tip in his hair. He stares at the small figure standing on the counter, grinning from ear to ear. Jimmy can see it's a girl with blonde hair done up in pigtails-_definitely a personality_, Jimmy thinks silently. Not all her hair is blonde, it's streaked with red, blue, green and then her natural blonde hair serves as the yellow so it looks like a rainbow. Her whole face is painted white, and her lime green eyes are painted with small triangles coming out from the sides-going clockwise, the colors are red, green, yellow, and blue. Her nose isn't red, but the bottom of her cheeks have painted red circles so that when she smiles, they end up at the end of her mouth line. She has on a blue suit with red fringes at the top and bottom with two red buttons, yellow pants, green gloves and shoes with two "X"s in them to serve as shoe laces. Her pigtails are also in a rainbow like her hair, and even her eyebrows are painted blue on the left and red on the right to match the elastics holding in her pigtails. She stares at Jimmy with a smile. 

Clown: HI!

Jimmy stares for a moment. 

Jimmy: ...hi-

Clown: Do you like pies I love pies pies pies pies all day slash night long pies pies PIES!

She jumps down onto the floor and then onto Jimmy's stomach.

Jimmy: Ooaf!

Clown: Wanna be my _friend_ ?

Jimmy: Ah...sure, what's your name?

Clown: My name?

She puts a finger on her chin and puts on a thoughtful face. Finally she looks back at Jimmy suspiciously.

Clown: Is that a trick question?

Jimmy: I don't think-

Clown: Hey! Know what know what?! You can call me FUNNY!

She pulls out a hammer outta no where and slams herself on the head, laughing insanely. 

Funny: What _yourrrrrr_ name?

Jimmy: Jimmy-

Funny: Jimmy that name sounds familiar oh well HEY! You wanna throw pies, join a band of mutant midgets and destroy the universe?! Huh huh huh DO ya?!

Jimmy: I DON'T KNOW!

Jimmy suddenly jumps up and yells this right in the Funny side's face. She dropped to the ground and looks surprisingly up at him. The redness in Jimmy's face is fading, but he's breathing deep, his teeth are gritted, and his hands are clenched into tight fists that are now loosening up. The Funny side blink twice with a low xylophone sound, and then a high one. She shakes her head and clicks her tongue.

Funny: No, no, no. Don't mess with the Funny side, Jimmy. It's not a smart idea.

She says this in a taunting melody way, which makes Jimmy look suspicious. 

Jimmy: Oh yeah? Why not?

Funny: Because...I know armies of rotten apples that can KICK YOUR BUTT!

SPLAT! The Funny side smashes a pie right in Jimmy's face, laughing insanely. She runs over to Carl who yells and tries to run away, but the Funny side jumps on his back and causes him to fall, making his glasses fall off in front of him. She peers down from his back into his face. 

Funny: How a' doin' ,tubby?

She pulls out a paint kit and in no time Carl's face is painted like a clown, with green criss-crosses over the eyes, red circles for cheeks and a white face underneath it. The clown's now wearing on of those small red hats with the tip on top and she's holding a canvas. She puts on a French accent. 

Funny: Vola! All done!

She throws the canvas at the window, causing the paint to splatter everywhere. She laughs like crazy at the sight and back flips away down the street. Jimmy whips the pie off his face with his hands and helps Carl up. 

Jimmy: Where's Goddard?

Suddenly a laugh broke the slience. The two looked to their right to find Goddard on his back cracking up laughing at the two of them. Jimmy puts his hands on his hips. 

Jimmy: Thanks. 

Goddard: Anytime. 

Jimmy: C'mon, we gotta catch her! Goddard, fly mode!

Goddard: More like PIE MODE!

He starts to laugh again even as he transforms into the small motorcycle from the movie and Jimmy and Carl hop on. They speed down the street after the Funny side. 

Jimmy: She's coming into view!

Jimmy looks ahead of his to see her driving in a car covered with rainbows and flowers, singing loud and annoyingly...

Funny: I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves! Everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves! I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, and this is how it goes!....I know a song-

Jimmy: Ok, if she doesn't cut that out in the next 5.8 seconds, I'm sucking myself up. 

As they approach a huge deserted mansion, Carl places a hand on Jimmy's shoulder. 

Carl: Wait! I'm not going in there!

Jimmy: Oh, c'mon, Carl, you're with me! What could go wrong?

Suddenly a flash of lightening makes both of them jump and yell as they look up with scared eyes. They glance at each other and laugh weakly. 

The door creaked as they walked inside. The cobwebs on the wall glistened in the moonlight, and as they walked inside onto the rug clouds of dust arose into the air. Jimmy waved it away and coughed while Carl pulled out his inhaler and breathed deep. In front of them is a huge stair case that goes left and right at the top with wooden railings that curve at the bottom. An old chandelier hangs above their heads as the light from the moon makes them shine like stars in the night. Jimmy looks left and right and listens closely, but there doesn't seem to be anyone there. 

HAHAHAHAHA!

Jimmy jumps at the eerie laugh and Carl yells, cowering behind Jimmy and shaking uncontrollably. The laugh wasn't that of the Funny side, but the one that followed it was without a doubt the crazy clown. 

HAHAHAHAWHOOooooooHAHAHA!

Jimmy: Oh, they're here, alright.

Carl: "They're"?

Jimmy: There's definitely more than one here- 

Voice: Well aren't we a LITTLE EINSTEIN!

Jimmy whips around with Carl still attached to his back and Goddard by his side looking curiously up at the dark figure that was sitting on the ledge above them above the door beside a huge clock and two statues of huge black bats. The features of the figure are blocked by the darkness, but her eyes are visible and can be seen as green-one's normal, however the other one is just a large green circle with a black dot in the middle. A toothy grin suddenly breaks out over her face and she laughs surprisingly heartily. 

Figure: Oh, general, I didn't know it was you!

Jimmy: General?

Figure: Of course! You're here for the marshmallow races, right?

Jimmy: Marshmallow races? How is that even possi-OW!

Jimmy lets out a yell as his boxers are pulled above his pants and over his head. The Funny side jumps up laughing. 

Funny: WEDGIE TIME! AAAHHHAHAHAHAHA!

She pushes off Jimmy and jumps into the air, catching the edge of the ledge where the figure stood. As soon as she clings on, the figure jumps down. The Funny side puts on a sad face. 

Funny: I just got here and now you're _leaving _!

Figure: Funny side, the general is here!

Funny: Oh!...yeah, um, the general_._

Jimmy can now see that the girl has to be a personality, because her hair is blonde and in pigtails, only it's not smooth like all the others. This girl's hair is extra curly at the end, and not only that, it sticks out in small sharp wiggly lines instead of a steady smooth one. Her shirt is just a plain pink shirt, and by the finges at the ends of the sleeves it looked like she ripped the sleeves off the make it a short-sleeve shirt. Her jeans are ripped on her left pant leg and her shoes are light brown with a black line, just like normal. Jimmy blinks and looks toward the Funny side as she jumps down beside the girl who's now smiling. 

Jimmy: She doesn't look that much different than the _real _Cindy.

Funny: Yeah, ah about that...

The Funny side leans over and holds up the back of her glove to her mouth to shield what she's saying. 

Funny: This one's a little WHOOO-who. 

Jimmy: You mean...she's Cindy's Crazy side?

Funny: I dunno, you're the genius! You tell me!

Jimmy straightens up, allowing his boxers to flip back over his head and back where they belong. The Funny side holds her stomach and falls to the floor laughing. Jimmy puts his hands on his hips and looks at them annoyingly. 

Jimmy: Look, if you guys don't get back inside the body you belong in, I don't know what's gonna happen to Vortex, but it can't be good. Now I don't know why you guys are so against getting back into your physical form, but you don't have a choice. Now we can do this the easy way-

He pulls out the suction tube from his vacuum pack and places his finger on the switch, threatening to switch it on ON.

Jimmy:-or the hard way. 

The Funny side stops laughing and the Crazy sides look at Jimmy surprisingly for a moment, and then at the Funny side. Suddenly they both burst out laughing. This gets Jimmy upset. 

Jimmy: What's so funny?!

Funny: For a genius, you sure don't listen too well!

Crazy: Don't you remember what the Girl side said?

Jimmy thought for a moment, trying to remember what it was the Girl side had told him. 

_There's no way you'll be able to awaken the core if you can't even beat an outer side_ !

Jimmy places a hand on his chin and thinks deep. Suddenly the Funny side flails her arms in aggravation. 

Funny: Alright! Enoughgoofing around!

Her expression quickly turns to a surprised look, and suddenly she starts laughing hysterically again. 

Funny: Get it?! _Goofing _off, I'm a clown, you get it?! Hahahahaha, I crack my self up!

Crazy: What she's _trying _to say is...Enough small talk! Catch us if you can, shorty!

She shrieks with laughter as her and the Funny side sly away - The Crazy side with a red steak, and the Funny side with a green one. Their laughter echoed through the house like a yell does in a gym. Jimmy turned around to Carl and Goddard. 

Jimmy: Alright guys, here's the plan! Carl, you're the look out. You stay here and call my on the this walkie-talkie if you see anyone coming. 

Jimmy hands him what looks like a TV remote control, but suddenly bursts out an antenna from the top right corner to show that _now _it was a walkie-talkie. Carl pulled out his inhaler and breathed deep, then looked up towards Jimmy.

Carl: You think they got a bathroom in here?

Jimmy: Carl, this is serious!

Carl: Alright, alright, I'll be look out. But Goddard's staying with me, right?

Jimmy: I need Goddard in case something goes wrong!

Carl: You want me to stay here, all alone, in an old creaky house-

Jimmy: Ok-

Carl: -in a lightening storm-

Jimmy: Alright! You can keep him, ok? 

Suddenly a cackle echoes through the house. 

Voice: What's this? Is the big-headed genius too _slow_?

Without another word, Jimmy makes his way up the staircase until he reaches the top, and then decides to go left. He goes down a long and dusty hallway with old pictures still clinging onto the wall with what little power the rusted nails that hang them have left. Jimmy walked slowly and looked around ever corner of the hallway, holding the suction tube in his hands, ready to shoot at any moment. Suddenly the velvet rug he's walking on is pulled from his feet. 

Jimmy: Whoa-!

Jimmy slips onto the rug and quickly looks up to see the door at the end of the hallway getting smaller-someone was pulling the carpet backwards...with him on it! Without second thoughts, Jimmy jumps up and starts running as fast as he can. The side pulling the rug cackles with delight at his struggling, and Jimmy recognizes it as the Crazy side. He runs faster in order to keep him self on his feet, when suddenly the end of the rug speeds past Jimmy's feet and causes him to fall. Despite that, he quickly pulls himself up and runs to the door at the end of the hall. 

Crazy side: NO!

Jimmy slams the door right in her face, and to his relieve there's a lock. As he bolts the door shut and the Crazy side starts pounding on it, Carl's voice comes crackling over the walkie-taklie. Jimmy pushes the button and responds. 

Jimmy: What?

Carl: There's a big group of people out there-looks like a search party! They're heading this way!

Jimmy: Oh _no_! They're probably looking for Cindy! 

Carl: Whatdo I do?!

Jimmy: Stay there! I'm coming!

Jimmy places an ear to the door and listens closely-not a sound comes out from the hopefully empty corridor. Jimmy creaks the door open slightly and looks down the hall, trying to keep his breathing steady. He leaves the door open, not wanting to risk the chance that the shutting of it would cause noise, and walks down the hall carefully, but quickly. He passes a room with voices coming out of it. Jimmy stops and listens carefully. 

Voice: ...if he's got that vacuum, there's no way to control him!

Jim knew this as the Crazy side, and the next was no doubt the Funny side's fast talking voice. 

Funny: Yeah, boss! There no way we're gonna win if...

She suddenly stops in mid-sentence, like she notices something. Jimmy's eyes get wide-did they know he was here?

Crazy: What's wrong?

Jimmy froze as he realizes they weren't talking to each other, but a third person...the "boss". 

Voice: It seems we have a listener. 

Without the thought of noise, Jimmy speeds down the hall and down the stairs just as the door was opening. Going two steps at a time and skipping the last three, Jimmy ran towards a frightened Carl and didn't stop to explain. 

Jimmy: Run, Carl, RUN!

Carl whips around, opens the door and speeds outside in the lead at first, but soon Jimmy's ahead. Jimmy looks behind himself to see if the sides are running after them, and in the process trips over a rock and falls down.

Jimmy: Ahh!

He hits the ground with a "thump" and Carl races back to get him. Carl helps Jimmy up and pulls him a little pus of the way, but in no time Jimmy's running like himself again. 

Carl: Why don't we use Goddard? 

Jimmy: We can't if there's a search party out there! Speaking of which, which way did they go?

Carl: They're everywhere!

Jimmy: We're gonna haveta take a detour to the lab! 

Jimmy suddenly stops and a thinks. Suddenly he smiles for the first time in a while. 

Jimmy: Hey! We can just use Goddard's new matter transporter! It'll zap us to the lab without any miscalculation!

He looks at Goddard with a look of satisfaction. 

Jimmy: Lab, Goddard!

Goddard microchips work they're magic and transport them to...

Jimmy: Unicorn Land?

They're suddenly in front of a pink amusement park with unicorns everywhere and a big sign with fluffy clouds and smiling faces that says:

**Unicorn Land, the Happiest Place On**

Earth!

Jimmy looks down at Goddard through the rain.

Jimmy: No. 

Goddard whimpers and lowers his ears, and transports them back to the front of the abandoned mansion. The rain has eased up and almost completely stopped. Jimmy and Carl make their way through some back yards, hop over some fences, and soon make it into Jimmy's back yard. Jim suddenly stops and turns to Carl. 

Jimmy: We'll take the secret entrance. 

With the click of his fingers, the spot Jimmy, Carl, and Goddard were standing on shifted to the right and dropped them into a metal tube. With Carl's screams echoing through the metal tube and around the twists and turns, they finally landed in Jimmy's lab. 

****

PART 4-Miss Smarty Pants

Jimmy places a hand on his chin and paces back and forth, deep in thought. As he paces he thinks out loud...

Jimmy: What could "the core" mean? And who's this "boss"?

Jimmy stops and thinks hard about the voice he had heard coming from a person-or personality, in this case-that had been addressed by the Funny side and the Crazy side "boss". The way it spoke those words made Jimmy shiver. It was icy and cold, and the very words themselves seemed to hold so much evil. Jimmy then thought of Cindy, and how even though she was mean to him and constantly mocked him, there was no way she could hold so much evil inside her. This caused Jimmy to go off track a little to think of seeing Cindy's bright face and hearing her sweet voice. Jimmy gazes up at the transparent Cindy in the tube beside them. He suddenly shakes his head-what was he thinking? This wasn't about her...right?

Carl: So, what's the plan?

Jimmy jerks back to life and stares at Carl for a moment, surprised by the sudden burst of sound after a long moment of silence. Feeling almost upset about thinking of other matters besides saving Cindy, Jimmy forces himself to concentrate on their situation. 

Jimmy: Well, the Funny side and the Crazy side were talking to someone else, and it didn't sound like a human voice. 

Carl: So you think they were talking to another side?

Jimmy: That's the only explanation. And what did the Girl side mean by "the core"?

Carl: Maybe you need to find the core to get Cindy's personality back. 

Jimmy: Maybe...maybe it works by power!

Carl: Power?

Jimmy: Yeah! Like the Funny side is powered by doing funny things and the girl side is driven by doing girl things! So if we just figure out what the core is, we can power it up and ask it how to get Cindy's personality back together!

Carl: But what if the core is on _their_ side! Then we would power it up and it would turn against us!

Jimmy: Part of being a scientist is to take risks, Carl. We have to try...

Jimmy's voice trails off as he gazes up at what's left of Cindy in the tube...

Carl: What?

Jimmy: I didn't put that there...Now that I think of it-

He turns to Carl. 

Jimmy: -we raced out the door and left Cindy where she was. 

Jimmy and Carl stare at one another, and a noise is heard from beyond the lab. Jimmy looks up and Carl jumps up from the can he was sitting on and turns in the direction of the sound. 

Carl: W-What was that?

He voice shakes with the thought of the horrible possibilities of what the noise maker was. Jimmy slowly walks forward and looks around the corner curiously. A door was ajar and Jimmy frowns for a moment-how could someone get past his security system? But his frown soon turned nervous as he looks down at the small VOX box that was placed beside the door so that only he could enter. It was smashed to pieces-wires hung out the sides and sparks flew out here and there. As Jimmy hears Carl come up behind him, Jimmy doesn't even turn but keeps his eyes on the open door and the sounds coming from inside. 

Jimmy: This can't be good, Carl.

Carl: I'll just...stay by the door, ok?

Jimmy doesn't answer, but walks forward slowly and tries not to give away the fact that they were there. Whoever was inside seemed to be typing, as fast clicking noises are heard from inside. Jimmy peeks through the door and sees no one at first, but a computer he has in that particular room is on in a writing program. He peeks around the desk and doesn't see anything, so he continues inside...

Jimmy: Ahhhh!

Voice: Ahhhh!

Jimmy had run into a girl who was caring a lot of books. She dropped them in surprise and lifted her hands to her mouth in shock. Jimmy stared at her for a moment. She stared back. The girl had on glasses and a purple sweater with a white collar neatly folded from side to side. Her blonde hair was pulled back with a dark pink headband and it fell until her waist with large neat curls on each side. Her skirt was a dark pink with purple plaid to match her purple sweater. She had white stockings on with black mary janes that had a bit of a heel. She stared shocked through her glasses at Jimmy. 

Girl: You scared the wits out of me.

Jimmy: Ah-

Girl: I hope you don't think I was an intrusion, I've been updating some of the programs in your computer, which I might add is a very impressive piece of equipment. 

She smiles kindly, and Jimmy also notices the top part of her hair doesn't have as much of a curl as the real Cindy. This side's hair doesn't curl but turns inward and sort of hangs to one side of her face. Jimmy looks over at the program she was in. He looks back to her with a little confusion. 

Jimmy: Who are you?

Girl: Oh-gosh, how rude of me, I'm Smart.

_The Smart side_, Jimmy thinks silently as he shakes her out stretched hand. _This might not be as easy as the Girl side. I better think of something good. _

Jimmy: What were you doing with these books?

The Smart side looks down, confused, but suddenly gasps as she realizes all the books she spilled on the floor. 

Smart: Oh! I forgot about those. 

She bends down to pick them up, but continues on talking. 

Smart: I was just picking up a little light reading. 

Jimmy picks up a book with one hand, but is surprised when he realizes he needs both. The book was very large and was labeled, in big important letters:

Technical Technicalities For People Who Have Nothing Better To Do

The Smart side bends upwards with three more books that aren't as fat, but just as lengthy and reaches for the big book. 

Smart: Thank you. 

Jimmy: Light reading?

Smart: Oh yes, reading occupies much of my time, though by the looks of this place you don't seem the type to loose yourself in a book. 

Jimmy: Well, I will admit, I don't read much, but I do have a couple books on engineering and rockets. 

Smart: You know, for a genius your lab is a little...

She looks around the room, trying to find the right word. 

Smart: -out_dated_. 

Jimmy: Outdated?! I have the most recent developments in every field of science and the most high-tech equipment, _which _, I might add, I build entirely from scratch _and_ by myself.

Jimmy crosses his arms in a satisfactory way. The Smart side doesn't look the least bit impressed.

Smart: These machines were impressive, but nothing close to the most up to date cutting edge technology. 

Jimmy: Well _duh_, I don't have access to that type of equipment, it's top secret government business. 

Smart: You _should_ be able to break the code to access the government's top arsenal lab. 

Jimmy blinks and let his hands fall to his sides.

Jimmy: Arsenal?

Smart: Yes, James, _arsenal_. You _do _know what arsenal is, don't you? I hacked into the pentagon and...how should I say, _borrowed _a few things I thought would come in handy, like this. 

She pulls from behind her back a huge laser gun and points it right in Jimmy's face. Jimmy looks confused for a moment, but soon he realizes that the slow rising humming sound meat the gun was powering up. He ducks just in time. 

SHEEE-NOWWW!

The laser fired a huge hole right through the metal wall. Carl looks out from the side of the hole, shaking, and Goddard appears below him. The Smart side puts a hand on her hip and looks satisfied. Jimmy slowly gets and up and turns to her. 

Jimmy: Not bad. 

The Smart side doesn't reply, but simply puts out her hand. Jimmy's confused by this gesture, but he doesn't want to make a trigger-happy personality angry, so he shook her hand. Jimmy notices she's smiling, but it wasn't at all like the last one. This one was cold and evil, and Jim had a feeling she didn't mean to be friendly. 

Smart: It was nice meeting you, Mr. Neutron, but I'm afraid our paths go in separate directions. 

Jimmy doesn't respond, hoping she would continue. 

Smart: I'm sorry to say that now, I'll have to kill you.

She pulls out a large black gun with a pencil loaded in the barrel and holds both that and the laser gun at Jimmy. She places her finger on the trigger...

POW!

She fires with a large force and smiles through the smoke, knowing she hit her target. But as the smoke clears away, she sees a small figure in the dust, and soon the figure turns out to be Jimmy. He's smiling, too, and holding the vacuum. The pencil stuck into the suction tube. The Smart side's jaw droops. Jimmy smiles more broadly. 

Jimmy: Ace this.

He flips the switch on REVERSE and the pencil goes flying back towards her. It shows in slow motion that the pencil flips over so the point is facing the Smart side. The Smart side looks surprised, but grins. We see the Smart side jump to one side and dodge the pencil, though Jimmy sees this so quick it takes him a while to realize he missed his target. The screen shows the pencil in the wall once the smoke clears away. Then the scene splits in slants in the corners; in one side, we see Jimmy's shocked face-in the other, we see the Smart side grin with pleasure.

Jimmy: Wait!

He puts up his hands in defenses and shouts it quickly, like stopping a bad thing in the nick of time. 

Jimmy: Before you kill me, can I ask you one thing? You know, since you _are _Cindy's smart side. 

The Smart side looks suspicious for a moment, but couldn't deny the fact that she probably knew the answer to Jimmy's question.

Smart: You have 20.2 seconds. 

Jimmy: What's an outer side?

The Smart side stares suspiciously at Jimmy for a moment for asking this particular question, but realizes she has the upper hand with the gun. She lowers the pencil shooter and starts to explain. 

Smart: An outer side is a part of Cindy's personality that shows a lot, like her Girl side. I'm obviously powerful because Cindy likes to show me off to other people-

She smiled evilly at this. 

Smart:-and to make _you _look bad.

Jimmy scowls but doesn't say anything, excepting the fact that she was the one with the advantage. This keeps the Smart side smiling as she continues. 

Smart: Inner cores are less powerful because they don't show as often. 

Jimmy: So it _does _work by power?

The Smart side blinks at this-how did he figure that out? But her expression soon turns annoyed as she shakes her head and raises her gun.

Smart: Forget about that! Let's get this over with!

She aims the gun at Jimmy, but Jimmy had found newer and more bolder confidence now that he knows how to get Cindy back.

Jimmy: If there are inner sides and outer sides, there has to be a core. 

The Smart side's mouth opens as if to respond, but once she thinks hard about Jimmy's thoughts she starts to stammer. 

Smart: Well...if there's...you know how...um-

Jimmy: And if there's a core, there's still hope of saving Cindy. 

The Smart side stares for a while. Jimmy smiles with narrow eyes and crosses his arms. The Smart suddenly raises the gun. 

POW!

She shoots another pencil, but this time Jimmy's got the vacuum ready. He grabs at the suction tube and pulls the back pack with him as he crawls under the smoke up to the Smart side. He places his finger on the switch and waits. As the smoke clears, the Smart side's satisfied look turns surprised as she looks around the spot where Jimmy was. Without moving up, Jimmy turns the suction on ON.

The clicking of the switch caused the Smart side to look down and see Jimmy at her feet with the vacuum. She turns quickly to run, but Jimmy catches her ankle and trips her. She falls with a small thud and her gun goes sailing across the lab floor. She reaches out her arm to grab it just as Jimmy pulls out the suction tube. 

Smart: Eeeek!

It was a high-pitched, quick yell as the Smart side is sucked up in a flash of yellow. Jimmy smiles as he looks down the tube.

Jimmy: I got 'er, Carl!

Jimmy frowns and turns around. 

Jimmy: Carl?

No answer. Jimmy looks confused for a moment, but wails coming from above the lab tell Jimmy all he needs to know. With no second thoughts, Jimmy snatches the vacuum and heads for the door that leads to the fire place. 

Jimmy pops up in his dark house and quickly dashes towards the door, not wanting to stay in the creepy living room alone for long. Jimmy's parents were obviously out looking for Cindy. 

Jim opens the door and peers out. In the glow of a street light Jimmy can make out two shapes, and the whimpers were definately Carl's. 

Carl: Please, don't hurt me!

The other figure laughed. 

Voice: Ha! What a pitiful whimp! You should be ashamed!

Carl: Well, it's a tough job, but someone has ta do it!

Voice: I'll ask you again: Where is the boss?

At this Jimmy's face turns suprised. He had managed to sneak behind the the front of the Neutron's car and was listening carefully. 

Carl: I already told you, I don't know _who _the boss _is_ ! How can I know where this "boss" is if I don't know him slash...her. 

Jimmy suddenly was stuck with a worried thought. 

Jimmy[whispers]: Where's Goddard?

No sooner had Jimmy spoke those words than Goddard popped out of a nearby garbage can and attached himself onto the figure that was questioning Carl. Jimmy could see in the darkness faint outlines of the person's flailing arms as she yelled. 

Voice: YOW! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!

Jimmy now saw that Goddard had attached itself to the figure's leg, and whoever it was was running in a circle and throwing their arms around, trying to get the dog off. The figure stops and Jimmy can see Goddard's been plucked off the figure's leg by the figure itself. Suddenly a car turns onto the street. The figure drops Goddard and runs away down the street. Jimmy dashes as fast as he can across the street to Carl and throws himself and Carl behind two trashcans. he made it just in time-the car turned it's lights on the minute Jimmy and Carl ducked. Jimmy puts a finger to his purssed lips in a silent "Shhhh". Carl nods. The man in the car negins to speak...

Man: This is Officer Vanhot. No signs of anyone between The Candy Bar and the Vortex household. 

When he said "Vortex", Jimmy got confused-how had he known this was Cindy's house? But to their surprise, he wasn't talking to himself.

Voice: 10-4, Vanhot. 

__

10-4?, Jimmy thinks silently. The response to this Vanhot guy was a crackling voice. A light bulb suddenly went off in Jimmy's head; officer, 10-4, walkie-talkie. This guy was a cop...looking for Cindy! _Gosh_, Jimmy thinks, worried. _They even got the cops involved in this? I'm dead for sure! _Meanwhile, the man on the other end of the walkie-talkie talks again. 

Man: We got more problems, John. A bulliten just went out about a ten-year-old boy with a big head and a tall hairdo that's dissappeared, too. 

Officer Vanhot: Can you give me his indentification?

A small time later...

Man: Name's Jimmy Neutron.

Jimmy and Carl look shcoked at each other. Jimmy felt his face flush of all it's color. 

Man: He was last seen Vortex. 

Officer Vanhot snorts. 

Officer Vanhot: Figures. Alright, I'll look for the Neutron kid, too. 

Man: Copy that. 

The cop car moves slowly up the street. Jimmy waits until the car turns the corner and is out of site, then he jumps up and starts at Carl.

Jimmy: Did you hear that? They're looking for _me!_ This isn't good, Carl, this really isn't good. 

Carl: Yeah...he didn't say he was looking for me. 

Jimmy frowned and looked towards his friend sadly. But suddenly Carl smiled. 

Carl: Oh yeah! I told my mom I would go look for Cindy so I could help you!

Jimmy smiles. 

Jimmy: Good idea...

He looks surprised for a moment and suddenly pulls out a notebook. 

Jimmy: Today, at 11:00 PM, Carl Wheezer had an idea!

Carl: 1 up for me. 

Jimmy: I was wondering...who was that person you were talking to?

Carl opened his mouth to answer, but suddenly pointed beyond Jimmy with a scared face. 

Carl: Look out!

Without time to respond, Jimmy found himself in a head lock by someone that had snuck up behind him. Jimmy tries to break free, but the person was a lot stronger than he was. 

Voice: So, you're obviously the brains 'a this operation. Maybe _you _can tell me where the boss is. 

Jimmy: Who _is _the boss?-

Voice: DON'T GET CUTE!

The person throws Jimmy into the garbage cans, and as he gets up he's able to make out the person he's taking to. Jimmy found that he wasn't surprised to see it was a blonde girl with green eyes-a side for sure. This particular personality had on a black leather jacket that was open with a folded color. Her t-shirt was also black with a skull in the middle, along with the ties that kept up her pig tails. Her jeans were blue and ragged, with beat-up work boots with rubber soles made her look tough. Her left eyebrow was pierced along with her nose. Her ears were pierced one on top, one in the outer middle and the other on the bottom. Her hair wasn't just blonde, but was streaked with red zig-zags, and Jimmy also saw her eye brown were died red. Despite all this, there was no mistaking her for one of Cindy's sides. She crossed her arms and stared at Jimmy. 

Side: So, ya gonna talk- 

She bends down and fists her hand in his face. 

Side: -or do I haveta make ya?

Jimmy stares at her fist for a minute, knowing he better say the right thing. He looks up at her. 

Jimmy: You're tough, aren't you?

The side lifts up and looks shocked. 

Side: Tough? TOUGH?! I'm the toughest chick around, shrimpy! What's it to ya?

_What a punk_, Jimmy thinks to himself. _She could massacre me! _ He suddenly blinks with surprise. 

__

That's it! Her Punk side!

Punk: You gonna tell me what I wanna know or what?

Jimmy looks up into the Punk side's tough eyes. He smiles. 

Jimmy: Sure, I know where the boss is. 

The Punk side smiles in a tough way and stretches out a hand. 

Punk: Now you're talkn! Name's Punk, don't forget it.

Jimmy takes her hand and felt the tough exterior of her hand. He didn't need to help himself up-she did it all for him. Suddenly a thought of all that muscle going into his face in a fist with a force made him extra careful not to say the wrong thing. 

Jimmy: Sounds tough. 

Punk: Toughest there is. 

Jimmy: How about a little deal?

The Punk side's face suddenly turns suspicious. 

Punk: What kinda deal?

Jimmy blinks as he realizes he told her where the boss was, so that deal was out of the question. What could he bribe her with...? 

Just as Jimmy was ready to grab Carl and run for his life, a small sound of metal on a wet street made both of them look up.

Jimmy: Goddard, fly mode!

Goddard runs up in the middle of him and the Punk side and turns into a motorcycle. Carl runs up from the trash cans over to Jimmy and Goddard. Just as they all hop on, the Punk side comes out if her stunned mode and realizes they're escaping. She latches onto the side just as Goddard flies away. Hanging on with no fear of how high they're going, the Punk side jumps up with a ready fists. 

Carl: Jimmy!-

POW! Jimmy can feel the blood rushing to his left eye as he dangles dangerously over Retroville. Goddard seems to know where he's going and towards the abandoned mansion, where the rest of the sides hopefully still are. The Punk side smiles wickedly , but Jimmy isn't done with her. He gets a better grip on Goddard's side, swings hard and kicks the Punk side with all his might right in her stomach. She puffs out hard from the blow and looses her grip.

Punk: AHHHHHHHHH!

Jimmy watches as the Punk side falls faster and faster, but son she flies back upward with a black tail at Goddard. As Jimmy climbs back into his seat, he's surprised to see the Punk side stop and go in the direction of the mansion, only a different path than they were taking. 

Carl: You ok, Jimmy?

Jimmy: Yeah, I'm fine. Kick it up, Goddard! We gotta get there as fast as we can!

Goddard kicks in his boosters as they head towards the mansion, ready for 

the worst.

****

Part 5-Lost At Midnight

Goddard stops in front of the mansion and lets Carl and Jimmy off in front of the huge oak doors. Jimmy looks over at Carl beside him and notices he looks nervous.

Jimmy: You don't have to do this, Carl.

Carl looks over at Jim for a moment and smiles.

Carl: I'm already in trouble. Mine as well make the best of it.

Jimmy smiles back. They both turn to face the huge doors. 

Jimmy: Ready?

Carl: Wait!

He pulls out his inhaler and breathes once. He pockets it and looks back at Jimmy. 

Carl: Ok. 

Jimmy places his hand on the moist, black metal of the door knocker and pushes. The door creaks like before and squeaks once from the water still inside it's hinges from the storm. Jimmy gulps loudly as he walks into the enormous empty room-it looked even more eerie than last time. He searches with his eyes as best as he can to look for any traps, but none as visible. He suddenly looks surprised, like he just realized something. He whips around to face Carl.

Jimmy: The vacuum! It's in the lab! 

Goddard: Bark!

Out of his back pops the vacuum and the suction tube. Jimmy straps the vacuum onto his back and holds the suction tube ready. He looks down at Goddard. 

Jimmy: Good dog. 

Goddard: Aren't I?

They slowly walk into the room in front of the stair case, looking nervous, but his expression suddenly turns determined. 

Jimmy: If you're so powerful, come and get me!

Jimmy can feel his stomach turning. _What am I doing? _, Jimmy wonders. _Why? Why am I going to save someone who hates me? _ But Jimmy didn't have time to think. For as soon as that thought crossed his mind, the floor below them opens to a pit of black nothing. 

Jimmy

Carl : AHHHHHHHHH!

They fall faster and faster with every heartbeat, the wind whipping through their hair. Suddenly a light is seen at the bottom. Jimmy's eyes widen as he realizes they're about to his rock bottom!

Jimmy: AHHH

Jimmy shields his face with his arms and clenches his eyes tightly shut, expecting to hit the floor and this time, he wouldn't get up. 

It happened so suddenly it took Jimmy a minute to figure out what had happened to them. They had stopped, hovering mere inches off the ground. Jimmy opens one eye, still breathing fast, and lowers his arms. Carl stops breathing so quickly and takes a few deep breathes, wishing he could use his inhaler but not wanting to risk the chance of falling. Jimmy stares in amazement as Carl, Goddard, and himself are turned right side up and lowered gently to the ground. Jimmy hit the floor so softly it felt like he was walking on clouds. He looks around. The only light in the room is the one they were incased in, like a spot light only with no device from the light to come from. Jimmy looked up and saw no tunnel nor light, and yet they had fallen into this barren room with one light on top of them. 

Voice: You're lucky...

Jimmy expression gets scared as he looks around to see no one visible who was talking to them. 

Voice: ...for as easily as I set you down, I could kill you. 

Out of the darkness came a figure, a figure so evil and so sinister that Jimmy felt sweat form on his brow and the jump of his heart as it beats in his throat from the pure shock of seeing something so vile. 

Her violet hair was ragged and done up with a high ponytail with a black tie that had sharp ends. Her skin was red violet and covered with a samurai's raspberry drapes. Her shoes were black, as the cloth rapped around her waist to hold a black sword case. But the one thing that Jimmy dreaded, the one thing that struck fear into his heart...were her eyes. Light violet, with no white circle centering the middle of her outer black circle, but instead having it the same color as the rest. And drawn from the bottom corners of each eye were pointed triangles, blacker than black, making them look like black arrow heads. Her hair didn't have Cindy's natural curve, but instead ended in points, both at the bottom of her ponytail and in the top part, pointing in towards her red violet skin. 

Jimmy couldn't bring himself to talk, and instead he stood there, completely shocked, with his mouth hanging open so he could supply enough air to keep up with the quick pace of his breathing. The side stood with an expression and a stance that made her look as though she was looking down upon them, and Jimmy knew she was used to being well-respected. 

Side: You have come far, Jimmy Neutron, to save your friend, but I'm afraid this is where your mission ends. 

Jimmy still couldn't figure out how he summoned so much courage while staring into those hollow eyes, but the fact is he stood taller and looked the side in the eye. 

Jimmy: Who's gonna stop me?

The side smiles a smile so evil that Jimmy almost screamed out loud. She laughed a heartless laugh and talked with pity. 

Side: Brave you are, yet foolish. I am the Dark side. I am the commander, the ruler-

She smiled wider. 

Dark: -the boss of Cindy's personality. 

Jimmy blinked in horror. This was it? He had to beat _her?! _

Jimmy: What about the core?

The Dark side keeps her smile and narrows her eyes. 

Dark: Taken care of, and soon-

She draws her sword slowly and we see Jimmy and Carl's scared faces in it's silver blade as the Dark side pulls it from it's case. She places the side up to Jimmy's neck. Jimmy tilts his head back as the Dark side nears his face until it reaches the other side of the blade, inches from Jimmy's face. When she speaks, her voice hisses like a poisonous snake. 

Dark:-so will you.

Jimmy jumps backwards into Carl just in time as the Dark side slides the sword to the left, trying to slice Jimmy's throat. Jimmy rises a little further away as Carl remains on the ground. 

Dark: You're quick...

She slides down and somehow disappears. Jimmy gasps and in surprise and suddenly is being head locked from behind. 

Dark:...but not quick enough. 

Jimmy slips through her arm just in time as she thrusts her sword forward, and quickly Jimmy runs away from behind her. He could see no doors, nor walls, just..._black. _He could hear the swish of the Dark side faintly over the sound of his panicking breath and his pounding heartbeat. His eyes darted frantically around for a way out, but there was nothing but a circle of light that seemed to follow Jimmy around, even though he strayed from the spotlight Carl, Goddard and him had landed in. 

Carl: Jimmy!

Jimmy whips around to Carl, but a motion above him makes him look up-

BAM!

A small scene shows the bottom of the Dark side's foot heading strait for Jimmy's face and suddenly Jimmy found himself sliding across the floor with a loud SMASH! and a scarping sound that told him one thing.

Jimmy: The vacuum!

He didn't have time to do anything else. He's lifted briefly into the air as the pink Girl side, the yellow Smart side and the black Punk side fly up strait into the air, laughing in a teasing way. Jimmy let his gaze follow them and suddenly noticed a long ledge a little below the "ceiling". Surprisingly, he could see it was all of Cindy's sides, laughing together and watching Jimmy get beat up like it was a show put on for their entertainment. The Girl side stops and flies down to Carl. Carl whimpers and leans back, but the Girl side places a hand gently on his chin. She smiles devilishly. 

Girl: You know, you're kinda _cute _when you're scared.

Carl raises his eyebrows high and blushes. His glasses stared to fog at the bottom. With a smile she lifts Carl under her arm and hoists him up to the balcony. Goddard barks as Carl is carried away. 

Carl: Whoa!

Goddard: Bark!

Funny: Aw, you forgot the puppy!

The Funny side jumps down and smiles at Goddard. 

Funny: Wanna be my _friend?_

Goddard: Bark!

Funny: YEAH! I have a metal friend and _you_ don't!

She looks up at all the other sides and sticks out her tongue. 

Funny: THMP!

She holds Goddard carefully under her arm and flies up to the ledge. Jimmy picks up the vacuum from behind him to see that it's no longer a vacuum. The thing is smashed to bits. Sparks fly out in random directions, causing hissing sounds. Cables are snapped in two and are causing sputtering noises that fill the room. Jimmy looks down to see the suction tube no longer able to suck-it had been pinched shut and looked as though it would never re-open. Jimmy looked up at the laughing sides on the ledge, and in front of them, staring with satisfaction, stood the Dark side. He knew in his heart he could not defeat them, nor capture them. But he had to try. For him, for Carl...

For Cindy.

Jimmy took off his back pack and throws it into the darkness beside him. The vacuum vanished into the shadows along with the suction tube. Jimmy looks over at the Dark side with a determined face. He lifts his fists and narrows his eyes.

Jimmy: Take your best shot.

The Dark side stares with a pitiful glare, though her black heart knows nothing of mercy. Jimmy felt a bit foolish; here he was, this short, geeky, ten-year-old boy who has no experience fighting challenging a skilled samurai who could turn him into chop sui with a swish of her sword. But he pushes all his embarrassment aside and figures the only thing he can do is stand his guard and dodge the Dark side's blade until he thinks of an idea. 

She narrows her eyes and stares. The sides on the ledge stop laughing and stare anxiously over the ledge, waiting to see what would happen next. The Dark side smiles and draws her sword. It was long and skinny, but looked as though it could cut boulders in half. She crouches low, ready to jump. Before she makes her attack, she looks up into Jimmy's eyes. He stares back into hers, determined to overcome the fear that was causing his heart to race. She smiles as she hisses.

Dark: Good luck...you'll need it. 

She leaps up into the air and points her sword on top of Jimmy. He runs forward and got behind her. When she lands he tries to kick her, but the Dark side was too fast. She whips around, catches his ankle and swings him away towards the spotlight. The sides on the ledge are perfectly silent as they watch the Dark side and Jimmy fight. Jimmy skids across the floor and opens his eyes weakly-his left eye still hurt from where the Punk side had hit him, and there was a huge blue and black, though mostly black, hole around his eye, so bad, in fact, it caused it to open only a little and not all the way because of the pain. Jimmy looks forward as his eyebrows shot up in surprise-the Dark side was already half way there in the air. Jimmy pushes off the ground with his hands and falls backwards just as the Dark side lands where he was a few seconds ago. He swings his feet backwards as she slashes her sword downwards, trying to slice his feet sheer off his leg. Jimmy stumbles up and ran as fast as he could and decided to go around and then back to the spotlight where he could see what was going on. As he runs he feels the swish of the blade as it comes inches from his head. The Dark side yells in aggravation as she swings, knowing that if she could just hit him once, it would be all over. The problem was Jimmy knew that, too. He jumps a little to turn around and skids backwards on his shoes. The Dark side lands in front of him and leans back to get ready to slice Jimmy in half, when suddenly...

CREEEEK!

Jimmy looks up-so does the Dark side. Doors. Huge, wooden, oak doors had appeared out of no where and started to open with a creaking noise on the hinges. Jimmy blinks in surprise-other then his heavy breathing the room was deadly silent. Jimmy thought of Carl and Goddard, and how he was gonna get them down to run out, but he didn't have time. He would have to go back to save them. 

Jimmy bolts for the door as fast as he'd ever ran in his life. The Dark side howls an unearthly shriek. 

Dark: NO! 

But Jimmy was already gone, down a long and dark corridor aligned with huge stone pillars. He hears the Dark side's swish behind him, and soon she was inches away. He realizes he has to stop and face her or he's never gonna escape. She slashes at him once at the left, and he ducks to the right. The next she went for right, but he skids to the left and scrambles behind one of the stone pillars. Expecting the Dark side to come from one side of him, Jimmy was very alert and waits for her attack. But to his surprise, she didn't go to the left, or to the right. 

She decided to chop the whole pillar down on top of him. 

Jimmy realizes what's happening before he can do anything about it; since the pillar was right in front of a window, he was gonna land outside. As the stone topples over Jimmy clutches onto the sides and holds on for his life. 

Jimmy: AHHHHHHH!

The pillar knocks out the window and some of the house around it. Jimmy dangles helplessly and looks down-there were on the highest level of the mansion, a 70 foot drop from the top. Jimmy couldn't help his eyes from holding his fear as he knew there was no escape. The Dark side walks out on the pillar with a smirk on her face. She bents low and whispers in Jimmy's face.

Dark: You know, Cindy never liked you. She wouldn't have done any of this if you were the one was in trouble-

Jimmy: That's not true!

Dark: Is it, now? The fact is, Jim-you gave your life to save her, and for what?

Jimmy's eyes soften and he looks down, not wanting the Dark side to get pleasure from seeing the defeat in his eyes. She only smils wider and narrows her evil eyes. 

Dark: That's what I thought. 

She raises her sword high and looks at Jimmy with a satisfactory look. The wind whipped through her violet hair, causing it to blow as she got ready for her attack. She leans it backwards - Jimmy's closes his eyes...

DONG! 

Jimmy looks behind him-

DONG!

The Dark side looks up-

DONG!

The other sides come running out-

DONG!

The Smart side smiles. 

Smart: Yes! Midnight!

She goes over the Dark side and places a hand on her shoulder. 

Smart: Why not let Jimmy go home and see Cindy one last time.

Though it was a question, she said it like a statement. The Dark side looked at her with an annoyed face, but the Smart side simply smiles evilly. It seemed as though the Dark side understood and she smiled back. She bends over low to talk to Jimmy. 

Dark: Yes, James, I believe Smart is right. Why not go back to your friend and see how she's doing?

Jimmy's mouth opens in shock, he gasps lightly-

Jimmy: No...

Dark: Go back and come when you are ready. Maybe what you'll find will make you give me more of a fight. 

She laughs slightly-a low and cold laugh that almost made Jimmy shiver. With a swish of her hand Jimmy's lowered to the ground, only not as gently as last time. This time Jimmy lands headfirst in a skid, but dispite that he gets up and starts to run with heavy breathing. Carl and Goddard are right behind him as they land on the ground. 

Carl: Jimmy, wait up!

Dark: Don't keep me wai-ting!

She sang it teasingly, causing all the sides to laugh evilly. 

Jimmy felt his insides turning, his stomach doing jumping-jacks, his heart in his throat, thinking about what he was gonna find when he got to his lab. Jimmy races down the street despite the search party not too far away, calling out Cindy and Jimmy's names. He turns a corner and runs even faster as his house comes into view. 

Carl: Jimmy!

Jimmy doesn't even look back. He races to the fence, tares the gate open and races to his clubhouse, only to see the door won't open. He slams his fist on it and starts to panic as he pulls out a strand of his hair and holds it for VOX to inspect.

Jimmy: C'mon c'mon C'MON!

VOX: ACCESS GRANTED

Jimmy tears the door open and jumps down the tube that lead to his lab. Carl and Goddard arrived just in time to stop the door from shutting and follow Jimmy down the tube. Jimmy had rushed so quickly down there that he flips on the way and hits the hard floor chin first, but he doesn't seem to notice as he scrambles up and runs into the room where Cindy's being kept. He was almost there-

Jimmy: NO!

Cindy was no longer floating in the tube the Smart side had put her in. She was lying on what little floor was in there, curled up in a little circle. Jimmy raced over to the door and undid the latch. He stared. 

She wasn't transparent. 

Jimmy doesn't say a word, but lifts her up and goes over to a nearby table covered with blueprints. Jimmy places Cindy gently on the floor beside him and whips all the stuff on the table onto the floor with clashes and clangs that echos through the whole lab. Jimmy quickly picks Cindy up and places her onto the table under a light. Carl and Goddard come in and stop as they see Jimmy's obviously in the middle of something. But Carl can't stand the wait. 

Carl: What happened?!

Jimmy: I dunno! I _knew _something was wrong when the Smart side built a tube to put her in! Why would she want to protect the core that's still inside her?!

Carl gasps. Jimmy turns to him. 

Jimmy: Where do you think the core was this whole time? Where do you think _I_ thought it was? I'm so STUPID, I didn't even see it before! Cindy's physical self is the _only _thing that can hold the sides and save her...

Jimmy looks at Cindy with a worried face. 

Jimmy: ...but...we're too late. 

Carl stares with an open mouth at what he's hearing. Jimmy sniffed softly, trying to hold back his tears.

Jimmy: It's over...

He shuts his eyes tight and grips the side of the table hard. 

Jimmy:...she's gone. 

A tear rolls down his cheek and lands on Cindy's below her left eye. Jimmy doesn't notice. He bends down and buries his face in the side of the table on top of his arms to tries to snuff out his sobs. He whispers to himself. 

Jimmy: It's all my fault.

Jimmy didn't lift his head, but kept it down in his arms, crying away his grief. Had he looked up, he would have seen the baby blue light that Cindy had started to glow.

****

Part 6-Love At First Slice

Carl watches with an open mouth, unable to call Jimmy out of his misery from pure surprise. Jimmy doesn't hear or see anything-the light didn't make any sound and his eyes were so far buried in his arms it was impossible for him to see the light threw his eyelids. The only thing Jimmy felt was sorrow, and an unbearable feeling of guilt inside him. He had killed someone, and the fact that it was Cindy hurt him even more. Carl's jaw stammers up and down slightly until he finally says what he wants to.

Carl: J- J-Jimmy? 

Jimmy: WHAT?!

Jimmy whips around and yelled threw tears at Carl, making him flinch slightly. Jimmy's angry face soon turns sad as he waits for Carl to speak. But Carl didn't need to. 

It was such a gentle touch Jimmy wonders how he even felt it. His face had turned away from Cindy but not the rest of him, which helps you picture what happens next. Jimmy felt a gentle hand rest on his chin, and he suddenly felt as relaxed as when he sleeps. Slowly, have afraid of what he was about to see after all that he _had _seen, he turns his head to face the table. His eyebrows raise, his jaw drops and he gasps a tiny gasp.

Lying there on that table, light blue in color, was the most beautiful girl Jimmy had ever seen. Her hair was done up in pigtails, longer and skinner than the real Cindy's, but that was only one feature that caused her to be so pretty. Her eyes weren't like any of the ones the other sides had. They had curved eye lashes that rested to the side, and her eyelids were gently lowered half way down her eye, a darker light blue than the rest of her. The inside was only one darker light blue circle with a white one in the middle. She wore a dress that almost covered her black shoes, and she also wore a slash around her shoulder of light blue material that was long, though not as long as her dress. Her hands were soft and her fingers were gentle against Jimmy's chin. She stared into his eyes with a look of sadness, as though she felt what he was feeling. Her gaze lowered a little to Jimmy's cheek, where a tear was slowly falling. She raises her right hand up a little ways, and as gentle as anyone could, caught the tear on her index finger and slowly whips it off his cheek. She smiles a kind smile. 

Jimmy was so struck by her gentleness and her beauty that he almost forgot about everything that was happening. It seemed to Jimmy for a moment she was the only thing there-there were no sides to capture, Cindy wasn't dead and everything was back to normal. It must have been a brief trance because Jimmy found he snapped out of it as the girl on the table brings the tear in front of her. Jimmy watches, interested. Suddenly, the tear disappears. Jimmy gasps a little-how did she do that? The girl slowly brings her fingers into a fist and closes her eyes, deep in thought. Not too long later, in the same position, she speaks. 

Side: Your tears have saved me. 

Jim has no idea what that means, but it must have be a good thing-the word "save" was in there. Her voice was like a easy river in a flowered medow. It was so soft, it almost floated, and Jimmy knew she had to be a side-he'd never met a human that could be that kind. She brings down her hand and opens her eyes gracefully, her eyelashes resting in peace half way down her perfect baby blues. She smiles at Jimmy, a smile that was so kind Jimmy felt himself smiling back, though he didn't remember having a reason other than finding himself happy that this girl was happy, though he had no idea who she was, friend or foe, or what she was capable of. Without a sound, the side got off the table and onto her feet, the side where Jimmy wasn't kneeling, because Jimmy still _was _kneeling when the side walks over soundlessly and holds out a hand to Jimmy, smiling. That smile made him not only smile back, but he felt a warm feeling going though him, and then in his heart. He takes her hand, though he doesn't need to, and gets to his feet. The side lets go softly and brings her hand to rest at her side. Jimmy doesn't know how, but he found a voice somewhere under all that surprise, shock, and happiness mixture inside him. 

Jimmy: What...what do you mean " my tears saved you"?

The side keeps her smile and starts to explain. 

Side: Those tears you wept were of pure sadness. However, it showed that you cared. You felt so horrible and cared so much for Cindy's well being, you had more than awoken me. You have _powered _me. 

Jimmy: ...powered you?

Side: I am the Caring side, the core to all of Cindy's personalities. Like all the others, I am powered by kindness. I show when Cindy cares for other people, but also...

Her smile seems to get more wider. 

Care: ...when people care for her in return. 

Jimmy felt his face get hot and go bright red. Suddenly, the Caring side's head snaps upward. Her eyes are still kind, though now they seemed alert, like she can hear something Jimmy can't. Jimmy sees this. 

Jimmy: What?

Care: They are waiting...

Jimmy notices she's looking in the direction of the mansion. Jimmy nods with a worried look.

Jimmy: She said she'd be waiting for me. I dunno if she knows you're with us. 

Care: Oh, she knows. Soon, she will know. She can sense me, and the fact that I am opposite of what she is makes me even more easily detected. 

She looks over to Carl now. Carl looks up, surprised. 

Care: She is in that direction, yes?

Carl: Yeah, they all...well, the sides I mean...um-

Jimmy: They took shelter in a deserted mansion. We fell through a trap door-

Carl: The room was creepy!

Jimmy: And now the Dark side is waiting for me to go back and fight her! I have no way to beat her! She's way too powerful!

Care: You think I can?

Jimmy stared with horror-filled eyes. 

Jimmy: ...Can't you?

Care: I will do my best, Jimmy, but you see...that is why I am the core, and you need to awaken me, unlike the others, who escape immediately. 

Jimmy shakes his head slightly. 

Jimmy: I don't understand- 

The Caring side looks over in the direction she looked before. She looks a surprised, and to Jimmy's own surprisement, a little frightened . Jimmy's becoming impatient and jumpy with every question and reply.

Jimmy: Why do you keep on doing that?! What's-

Care: She knows.

Jimmy:...What?

Care: The Dark has seen me. 

The scene speeds out of the lab, into the mansion and right to the Dark side's face. She looks up suddenly, her eyes open with surprise. The other sides see the surprise on her face. 

Punk: What is it, boss?

Funny: Cheese?

Crazy: Cantaloupes?

Girl: A chubby kid with red hair and glasses?

Dark:...no...

Smart: What?-

Dark: NO! 

She takes off flying through the house at a fast speed with a purple tail. 

Smart: Wait!

The others follow her as she zips through deserted corridors and finally lands in the hallway where the pillar had fallen. She flies out to the edge of it outside and looks toward Jimmy's house. She stares for a moment, but soon...

Care: So you have chosen war...

The Dark side doesn't move, paralyzed on the spot. 

Care: 'Tis a bad choice, my evil foe. 

We see a flash of the Caring side's eyes opening. 

Care: I think that this time, you will need the luck. 

The Dark side takes a deep breath, grits her teeth, crunches her hands into fists. She suddenly raises her arms into the air, her long raspberry robes dangling from her arms, and screams a scream that struck fear into ever person that heard it. The sides stare in shock-she didn't let out a screech like that unless she was ready to kill. Her raised arms cast an eerie shadow upon the walls of the mansion, and suddenly the shadow starts to glow with a dark purple light. The scream shakes the very stones of the mansion to the point where they almost fall out of place, but the Dark side had got her message across.

Care: Ah!

She claps her hands on her ears and falls to her knees with pain. Jimmy kneels with her, unable to speak. Carl runs over behind him with Goddard looking on curiously. She closes her beautiful eyes tight and grits her teeth, trying to fit off the ear piercing screech. 

The Dark side stops and lowers her arms, though now she's more enraged than ever before. She whips around to the sides with such an evil face they all leaned back in fright as she yelled. 

Dark: LET HER COME! I'LL RIP HER TO SHREDS!

She pulls out her sword suddenly and slices through a stone to the left of her, breaking it in half with a mighty blow. It falls to the ground and smashes. She breaths heavily for a while, staring at the broken stone. The wind blows coolly, making her hair and all the other side's hair whoosh around in the night breeze. She turns herself slowly to the other sides and stares a cold stare. 

Dark: This war has already been won. 

The Caring side lowers her hands and stares with sorrow towards the ground. Jimmy watches eagerly, hoping she'll explain. The Caring side turns to him. 

Care: To face an evil as powerful as that is a great task...and a dangerous one. 

She lowers her head and closes her eyes.

Care: I shall fight alone. 

Jimmy's face turns surprised.

Jimmy: No way! I made her this way, shouldn't it be me who-

She suddenly grabs his wrist.

Care: I cannot take that risk!

Jimmy stares in shock-she actually raisedher voice. Her eyes goes soft again and she closes them gently, bowing her head once again. She keeps her head down as she speaks. 

Care: You do not hold the power to destroy her. This is a being of evil. 

She raises her head with determination. 

Care: Only I can control her. 

Jimmy's speechless. After all this time...

As though she read his mind, the Caring side looked him in the eyes and narrowed hers not with envy or anger, but with understanding. 

Care: I cannot hurt you in order to help myself. You must stay out of the Dark side's way. 

Jimmy opened his mouth and set his eyes with an argumentive look to protest, but upon looking into the Caring side's sweet eyes his felt his eyes soften and his mouth start to close. She stared at him with no persuasive look, she felt it was his choice, even if it didn't agree with hers. Jimmy knew that was why she was trying not to show persuasiveness in her eyes, but buried deep beneath that fake stare was a look that longed for him to listen to what she said. Jimmy takes a deep breath.

Jimmy: Alright. 

He points a finger at her. 

Jimmy: But I'm still coming, no matter what!

The Caring side smiles, for because of her senses she knows he cares for her well-being, though he was trying to act bold. She rises and turns to Carl. 

Care: Are you coming?

Carl stares for a moment at her, then to Jimmy, and back again to the Caring side. He nods with a silent gulp. The Caring side smiles and nods back. She turns to Jimmy. 

Care: You can fly with me. I do not think taking Goddard would be a wise task. 

Goddard whimpers and looks down. The Caring side smiles and bends down to him, lifting his chin.

Care: ' Tis only to keep you safe. I will make sure Jimmy comes back safely. 

Goddard's tongue flaps out as he seems to smile and he wags his tail. He licks her face as she rises and looks to Jimmy and Carl. 

Care: There's no more time-we have to leave now. 

Uncertain, Jimmy didn't know how she was going to fly them there. But as she bended down, Jimmy put a foot on her back and she lifted with a light blue tail as Carl hopped on too. She flew up to the ceiling-and flew right through it. Jimmy blinks-had he just went through the lab's steel ceiling? Carl seemed speechless, and the Caring side simply smiles at their amazement. She rises and looks to the left, but soon snaps her gaze to the right-her senses said the right. She narrows her gaze determinedly and flies towards the right. As the mansion comes into view, she narrows her eyes with determination-to fight an evil personality, you have to cast your fear aside and not let it poison your mind. 

She flies through the front doors and strait down the passage. The wind whips through her long pigtails and her bangs as she flies strait down through the rushing wind. As she reaches the "end", she stops and straightens, causing Jimmy and Carl to hang on tight to her back. Jimmy wondered if she struggled with their weight, but to his surprise she lands with grace soundlessly on her feet. Jimmy lets go and easily lands on the ground beside her, Carl doing the same. The Caring side stands straight, only moving her eyes to the left and right, looking for any signs of life. Nothing. The silence hangs like a low branch when you sit under a tree, and stings like an angry mosquito's bite. 

Jimmy saw the Caring side's head lift a little higher and her arms tense. She whips around as Jimmy and Carl do the same, expecting to see the Dark side's hollow glare. But nothing is seen but darkness. She turns forward again with frightened eyes, their baby blue lids now risen in fear. Nothing waits in the shadows, however, she feels her senses coming from...above her?

She looks up and jumps backwards quickly with a small and fairly quiet yelp, pushing her arms out to take Jimmy and Carl with her, though they didn't need a push-they'd jumped back the minute they saw her look up. In front of them, landing in a crouch off her knee from her jump, was the Dark side. She rises and narrows her eyes, smiling evilly. 

Dark: You jump. Frightened?

The Caring side's eyelids return to soften her gaze, unable to reply her. She smiles more broadly and walks around them in a taunting circle as she speaks. 

Dark: You wonder, Jimmy, why our friend had to be awakened? That is because she is weak, unable to get past my force of hate to show her stupid care and kindness. That is why she is the core-she is buried the most deep inside Cindy herself. She wasn't powerful enough to get herself out of Cindy's physical form, she isn't powerful enough to beat me. 

She stops her circle in front of the Caring side and stares with a vile smile. 

Dark: Do you have nothing to say, Care? Do you have nothing to defend your pathetic being with? Please, feel free to share-I crave amusement.

The Caring side stares with an expressionless face, unable to show fear and give her the upper hand, though unable to show a smile and lie that she did not have anything to alter the truth that the Dark side had spoken. She blinks slowly and keeps her ground. 

Care: The only reason I am Cindy's core is because you poisoned her mind with thoughts of hate, telling her to care not about anything besides herself. You may have dominated her mind...but I got to her heart. 

The Dark side drops her smile into a frown. The Caring side continues. 

Care: And that is why you fear me, Dark, because you knew this the whole time. You knew that despite your evil efforts to control Cindy's actions her heart is what she listens to most. That is why she was kind to Jimmy in the dungeon when the Yolkians attacked. 

Jimmy looked up at her with a look of surprise. Cindy spoke her heart to him?

Dark: And you fear me because you know I hold more power than you. 

Care: Power does not matter. 

Dark: Does it not? Or do you fight the fact that you have lost a battle you have not yet begun?

The Caring side feels her mouth open to get more air for her quickening breath. The Dark side walks up to her face and hisses.

Dark: Are you scared?

The Caring side stares into her eyes, stared into those hollow pits of evil with all the courage she could muster and whispers back. 

Care:...You wish. 

In a flash Jimmy finds himself flung to the side, Carl with him. He looks up in time to see the Caring side flip backwards away from the Dark side's sword. The Dark side rushes forward to keep up with her flips, and every time her blade neared the Caring side she would jump backwards into the air and land a safe distance away. She flips three times and finally stopped to fight the Dark side toe-to-toe. Jimmy jumps up in shock-she couldn't fight off a blade, could she?

Jimmy blinks as he tries to comprehend what he's seeing. The Dark side whips her blade through the air furiously at the Caring side, but the Caring side lifts only an arm as a block, and doesn't get cut. Jimmy watches with an open mouth as the Dark side hammers down her silver blade in attempts to slice the Caring side in two, but to no avail. The Caring side looks peaceful, and though Jimmy knew she had fear inside her he could tell it was blocked from her heart.

Voice: Hey look! We're missing all the action!

Jimmy looks up towards the dark balcony he saw before and sees the sides standing there, seeming to appear out of no where; Jimmy figured the appeared through the "wall". The Funny side had spoken, and was looking on the battle with a smile. 

Funny: Cmon, get 'er!

Punk: Jab with the left!...No, you're OTHER left!

Smart: It seems like an ancient gladiator fight, they were most popular in ancient Ro-

Crazy: Use the force!

All the sides looks towards her with blank faces. The Crazy side gives them an annoyed look. 

Crazy: Star Wars? Luke? Vadar? Ohhhh-HAAAA!

She covers her mouth and breaths deep. The Funny side blinks with a low xylophone sound, the Punk with a high. The Crazy side sighs deep and lowers her shaking head. 

Crazy: What a buncha' shames. 

Punk: Who you calling a shame, pal?

The Funny side pulls out a large red finger with #1 written in white and a bucket of popcorn. She sticks the red finger on her head and waves a light blue flag and a purple flag. 

Funny: HAIL THE UMPIRE!

The Dark side slashes her sword left, but is blocked by the Caring side's right arm. She quickly slashes it opposite to the right, but is blocked by the Caring side's left arm. The Dark side pushes with all her might, but the Caring side is just as strong, and shows no struggle as she holds off the Dark side. The Caring side looks down at her. 

Caring: Why do you fight?

The Dark side doesn't stop struggling and looks back at her. 

Dark: Why? To stop you from taking over!

She kicks the Caring side hard in the stomach with her knee.

Caring: Ah!

Despite her obvious pain, she flips over the Dark side as she comes slashing forward and runs a little ways, sliding backwards to face her foe. She blinks in surprise as she realizes...

Care: No!

Jimmy stood, motionless, as the Dark side jumps above him and raises her sword. The Caring side dashes over to Jimmy and jumps in front of him. She blocks the blade with her arms and jumps up, using both her feet to kick the Dark side hard in the stomach. 

Dark: Oh!

She slides back on her back. The Caring side stays where she is, her arms outstretched to either side of her to defend Jimmy. Carl had scurried away into the shadows, hoping to be unnoticed...

Girl: There you are!

Carl: NO!

Carl turns to run but is caught by the pink light of the Girl side and dragged to the ledge above. The Caring side doesn't take her eyes off the Dark side despite what's going on behind her. 

Care: Why do you go after him?

The Dark side gets to her feet by leaning on her sword and stands strait with sword to her side towards the Caring side. She had lowered her arms and eased her quickened breath. 

Dark: My anger is directed towards him!

Care: And my kindness also leads to Jimmy.

The Dark side stared. Jimmy looked up to the back of the Caring side as though he was looking at her face. 

Care: Jimmy causes Cindy so much hate, he is the one that gives you your power. 

Dark: So you protect him? You're loosing your mind!

Care: _I_ am? You are the one trying to destroy your own power source, Dark, not me. 

Dark: If he is my power source, why do you protect him? Why not let me kill him and solve your problems for you?

Care: Because...

She suddenly stops and her eyebrows raise. The Dark side's do also, and she suddenly smiles. 

Dark: Because he powers you also, doesn't he?

The Caring side simply stares, unable to speak. The Dark side walks forward. 

Dark: Because Cindy is torn between feelings.

Care: Something you know nothing of.

Dark: What? You gonna go back to child's mockery now that I've solved your riddle? No matter. 

She widens her smile and looks to Jimmy behind the Caring side's back.

Dark: I have bigger power sources, anyway.

Jimmy gets angry and walks out in front of the Caring side.

Jimmy: What's that suppose to mean?

Care: Jimmy!

She whispers it like a warning. 

Dark: It means that your weakling body can only hold so much anger, I think I may have to use a more useful energy tank.

She turns towards the ledge just as the Smart side begins talking. 

Smart: They're using such old terms! Often those words are only found in the 13 hun-

The Funny side jumps up and slaps her bucket of popcorn over the Smart side's head. 

Funny: Will you CLAM UP?! The boss is about to power up and kill the short geeky kid and I'm not gonna miss it! 

She turns forward again, but this time her eyes snap wide open. She opens her mouth slowly and her jaw starts to jabber soundlessly. The other sides watch, horrified, as the Funny side's color starts to drain. The Smart side lifts the bucket slightly to see what's happening and gasps. 

Smart: She's being drained of her power!

The Funny side's color starts to drain from her feet first, and soon it whips her face clean of it's color and leaves it transparent green like the rest of her. She stand stands for a moment with her mouth hanging open, and suddenly rolls her eyes and drops to the floor. All the other sides go running over as the Dark side turns back to the Caring side and holds her sword far back as she ducks in a pouncing position. Jimmy and the Caring side watch with scared eyes as the Dark side's sword starts to glow purple. Suddenly it bursts in purple flame. She smiles wickedly. 

Dark: Now the fun starts!

She leaps towards the Caring side who grabs Jimmy quick as a whip and kicks off the ground away from the Dark side and her flaming sword. She holds Jimmy tight to her side and jumps over various spots where the swishing of the Dark side's sword didn't seem close. Finally the Dark side lands in front of her and swishes the sword in a clean vertical cut. The Caring side ducks, rises back up and punches the Dark side square in the jaw. She stumbles back a bit, but simply rubs her chin and smiles. 

Dark: Getting angry, are we?

Jimmy looks up to the Caring side's face. She's breathing heavy and her eyes are no longer peaceful, their blue lids risen in anger.

Jimmy: Stop that!

He whispered it so the Dark side would not hear. She looked down to him, confused. 

Care: What?

Jimmy: Don't you see? By fighting the Dark side, you're only making her stronger! You anger is powering her up more and more every time she's damaged!

Jimmy's thoughts are delayed as the Dark side sees his whispering and lunches towards them. The Caring side slips under her as she jumps towards them and slashes down with a yell of annoyance and runs as fast as she can away from the Dark side. Ignoring the fact that this was a bad time, Jimmy continued. 

Jimmy: If you stop fighting her, she'll get weak!

Care: Are you sure of this?

Jimmy: Well...no.

The Caring side takes her eyes off her running for a moment and looks into Jimmy's eyes uncertainly. Jimmy quickly backs up his answer. 

Jimmy: But I'm 95% sure! That's almost an A!

The Caring side slides as the Dark jumps in front of her and slips, but catches herself by pushing off with her left foot, mere inches away from being chopped off by the Dark's side flaming sword. She flips backwards into the spotlight and places Jimmy down beside her. Jimmy keeps once hand on her back and smiles, something he hasn't done in a while.

Jimmy: Good luck. 

The Caring side smiles back and nods as Jimmy nods back. 

Dark: Awe, final words?

Jimmy lets go of the Caring side as she does the same and backs up out of their way. The Caring side stands very still and seemed a little taller as she spoke. 

Care: I'm done. 

The Dark side blinks, and for once Jimmy sees confusion on her purple face. 

Dark: Done?

Care: Go on. Finish me off. 

The sides on the ledge above them stop fussing over the Funny side and look down towards the two fighters, Carl doing the same. The Dark side stares at her for a moment, shocked, but soon lifts her sword and begins to run. 

Dark: AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

She rears back and slashes down her sword...

The sides on the ledge gasp. Carl rubs his glasses and replaces them back on his face. Jimmy smiles with an open mouth or surprise. 

The Dark side went right through her. Not a scratch was made on the Caring side. 

The Dark side whipped around to see the Caring side's kind face, staring at her, expressionless. She slashes again, but only goes right through her. She yells out as she swipes, frustrated, pouring all she has into her blows. The Caring side simply stands, motionless, and watches the Dark side's useless efforts. The Dark side stops and stares. She looks up to the sides and Carl on the ledge, then to Jimmy, then back to the Caring side. 

Dark: Well...if you can't be hurt on the outside, maybe some pain _inside _will do you good. 

She lifts her sword high, and Jimmy suddenly gasps-she's going to strike her through her heart! The Caring side's eyes widen in fear and she gasps. 

Jimmy: NO!

The Dark side brings down her sword hard...

And is stopped by the Punk side. 

****

Part 7-A Kiss and A Rose

The Dark side stares at her in disbelief for a moment, but snaps back to reality quick enough and rips the end of the blade from the Punk side's grip.

Dark: Is your brain pierced, too?! She was seconds away from destruction!

But the Punk side ignores this and makes her point. 

Punk: We're not your personal power tanks, _boss_, so you better shape up your act fast because I ain't nobody's fuel!

Dark: Oh yeah? And what makes you think you don't need to obey me?

Punk: What makes youthink I hafta? I don't gotta do nothing for nobody and you ain't draining the power outta me! Stuff that in ya pipe and smoke it!

The Dark side grits her teeth in anger and goes to strike the Punk side with her sword, but instead the Punk side lunges forward and hits the sword out of the Dark side's hand. 

Dark: NOOOO!

It skits across the floor and disappears in the shadow. The Dark side tries to punch the Punk side, but she's blocked and instead is given a right-hooker right in her jaw bone. She falls to the ground and rubs her jaw in pain, feeling it heat up as the blood rushes to that one spot. The Punk side smiles. 

Punk: There's your sign 'a leadership!

She walks over and picks up the sword. She holds it over her bended knee and looks determinedly at the Dark side. The Dark side narrows her eyes and hisses. 

Dark: You wouldn't _dare. _

Punk: Who wants the Dark side destroyed? Me first!

The Girl side jumps down off the ledge and landed behind the Punk side. 

Girl: That means I'm, like, _second._

Crazy: Me TENTH!

She jumps down also beside the Girl side. 

Smart: Though I'm slightly confused by the skipping of six single-digit numbers, I believe my vote counts as four. 

She also jumps down and joins the other sides. 

Jimmy: I'm in!

He raises his hand to show he means it.

The Dark side stares in disbelief. The Caring side smiles kindly. 

Care: You seem to be out numbered.

Dark: But...but you!...and I, and...why?...but-

Punk: "But" is right, as in "yours getting kicked"!

Just as she's about to break the Dark side's flaming sword in two, a high pitched laugh coming from the balcony makes them all look up in surprise. The Funny side was cracking up laughing on the ledge. Everyone watched in surprise as the transparent green clown floated down to the ground, holding her stomach from laughing so hard. 

Funny: I get it! Butt, kicked, this was written by Kickbutt 297, it's HILARIOUS! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, ah...ahaha. 

She finishes her hysterical laughter, but suddenly jumps slightly as she sees the Dark side's purple flamed sword above the Punk side's knee, ready to be broken. 

Funny: Don't!

She runs over and grabs the sword from the Punk side's hands. The Punk side is so shocked to see her, she simply lets her hands fall to her sides and watches. 

Girl: ...What is she doing?

She said it in a way that told them she was very disturbed by what she saw. 

Smart: She seems to be...

Jimmy: She's getting her power back!

The Funny side had started to gnaw furiously on the blade, right over all the purple flame. Surprisingly, she dents the blade as she bites down hard, but as she bites down the purple flame begins to disappear. As the flame disappears, the Funny side's color starts to come back from her feet up. Once the flame is gone and her full color is back, she lets go of it with her teeth and shivers with a relaxed look. 

Funny: O-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h yeah!

The Punk side walks over and snatches the blade from the Funny side's hands and holds it once more over her knee. 

Punk: Do you want the Dark side destroyed, Funny?

The Funny side puts a finger to her chin and tabs it lightly. 

Funny: Hmmmm...Dark side...destroy...welllllllllllll, I _could _be generous and give her a break...

Everyone's faces turned worried as she pondered. 

Funny: Buuuuuuuuut I won't.

All the Jimmy and all the sides smile-well, _almost_ all of them.

Dark: You ungrateful CLOWN! How could you side with them?!

Funny: Well, the fact that you tried to kill me _kinda _made me lean more towards them, you know what I mean?

Voice: I count, right?

Everyone looked up to poor Carl, who was left behind on the ledge.

Carl: I vote for the good guys!

Girl: Aw, aren't you _sweet!_

Carl: Oh for heaven's sake, leave me ALONE!

He cowers down, but no use-the Girl side already had him on the ground with the rest of them and was hugging him like a teddy bear. Carl's face was deep red as he looks at Jimmy for help. Jimmy puts up his hands in defense.

Jimmy: You're on your own with this one. 

Punk: So, let me see, that makes...

Smart: Seven against one, in my count. 

Crazy: Well, I can't count numbers, only my shipments of sharp objects I get weekly. 

Funny: Yup, seven sounds good!

Jimmy: Definitely seven!

Girl: Seven to...like, _one, _right?

Carl: What everybody else said.

They stared with smiles as signs of panic started to form on the Dark side's face, something Jimmy and Carl had never seen before since they saw her hollow eyes. The other sides looked as though they'd never seen fear, either, and smiled with feelings of victory. It was over... 

Care: Make that seven against two. 

They all stared-was she crazy?

Funny: Well, let's ask her...ARE YOU NUTS?!

Smart: She already almost killed one side! What about us?

Punk: I stepped in to save you skin and now you side with da enemy?

Girl: She could have chipped your _nail, _that's, like, a _serious_ offense!

Crazy: Crazy, huh? Now you're talkn'! 

Jimmy: She wants you _dead! _She's pure eviul, why would you want to spear her?!

The Caring side let silence hang for a moment, in case anyone else had an opinion they wanted to say. She looks over at Carl, who just stares back at her, horror-struck, at her decision. She never opened her mouth, but the silence let them hear her take a deep breath before she speaks. 

Care: Yes, Dark is evil. She is a power-hungry, merciless, heartless creature who, sadly, dwells in everyone. Every person has a dark side, epically Cindy. However, the one detail you seem to not understand is that Cindy _needs _her Dark side in order to be herself. Without her Dark side, Cindy has little ambition to save her friends or to stand up for herself. Do not let me mislead you-the Punk side carries plenty of spunk, but all of Cindy's courage comes from the same side you want to destroy.

She turns to Jimmy. 

Care: You would miss her Dark side, wouldn't you?

Jimmy: I don't see any reason to! With it she picks on me, mocks me, calls me Nerdtron, constantly humiliates me, why would I want her Dark side?

The Caring side puts on a face that says "C'mon" in a taunting way. Jimmy raises his eyebrows up in a worried way. 

Jimmy: What?! I wouldn't miss her...

The Caring side smiles. 

Care: Imagine, Jimmy-all the times Cindy stood up for herself or her friends, all the courage inside her would be _gone. _You know you admire her willpower.

Jimmy stares at her for a moment. He looks down at his shuffling feet.

Jimmy: ...kinda...

The Caring side doesn't push the matter. She looks back to everyone else. 

Care: Just because we don't like a part of Cindy's personality doesn't give us the right to change it. That decision lies in the hands of Cindy herself. 

The other sides nodded silently in agreement. The Dark side stared, shocked, at the Caring side. With a frown the Caring side looks towards her, but suddenly she smiles. 

Care: However, I do believe that a little payback is needed. Crazy, would you do the honors?

The Crazy side pulls out a white strait jacket and laughs insanely, grinning a toothy grin that makes her misshapen eyes glow. The Dark side stars with huge eyes of fear, and suddenly the Crazy side stops. The Punk side throws her sword carelessly across the floor towards her. The Dark side looks uncertainly up at everyone else, but only sees scorn in every face. She walks up to the sword slowly and picks it up with one more look at everyone else. The silence was almost unbearable, until she slid it into her case with a small "click".

POW!

The Crazy side jumped on top of her in a cloud of dust, and fives seconds later the Dark side was wrapped from mouth to ankles in a white strait jacket. 

Crazy: Are these belts tide enough?

She reaches over and pulls on a strap, ignoring the muffled yells of the Dark side as she pulled purposely hard on the already tight straps.

Crazy: That's better.

Jimmy and Carl walked over to the Caring side and jumped on like before. 

Punk: So where's this kid's house, anyway?

Care: It's not too far away. Follow me. 

Jimmy felt that weird sensation for the second time as they went through the ceiling back home, the Punk side and the Crazy side carrying the Dark side. When they finally landed in Jimmy's backyard, Jimmy turned to them. 

Jimmy: I suppose you guys are access to Cindy's brain, right?

Funny: Yup!

Jimmy: All of you?

Care: Punk, cover the Dark side's eyes, would you? Just so she can't see the location of Jimmy's lab. 

Out of her pocket she pulls out a red bandanna that's stained with black and ties it around the Dark side's eyes. The Dark side starts to shout. 

Punk: Oh, don't worry, your eyes can adjust to that oil within five minutes or so. Tuned up a Chevy this mornin', so it's fresh. Aren't you lucky?

The Dark side ignores this and continues to yell as loud as she can through the strait jacket. Jimmy pulls out a strand of his hair and lets VOX examine it. He walks inside, jumps on the table as it moves and jumps down, and the other sides follow, floating down the tube rather than riding. Jimmy landed at the bottom with Carl behind him, and together they walk into the room where the Personality Separator, or what was left of it, and Cindy were. Reluctantly, Jimmy walked in and stares at Cindy on the table. He suddenly gasps. 

Thinking it was distance that tricked him, he rushes over to the side of the table farthest from everyone else. He looks her up and down in the brightness of the light; there was no mistake. 

Cindy was solid. 

The Caring side walks in and looks up. She stops for a moment, then makes her way over and stops at the other side of the table. Jimmy hardly notices, and a long silence passes before Jimmy finally finds it in himself to speak. 

Jimmy: She's still solid. 

The Caring stares for a moment at Cindy. 

Care: Yes. 

Jimmy: But _why?!_ I got all her sides back, I awakened the core, _and _I beat the Dark side! What _didn't _I do?

The Caring side stared with kind eyes, but a look of sorrow was on her face. 

Care: Once Cindy is solid, there is no way for her to be transparent again, thusly not allowing us to go back. 

Jimmy felt his mouth slowly open in shock.

Jimmy: She's...she's dead?

The Caring side looks to the ground sadly. Jimmy felt his eyes start to go hot with brewing tears.

Jimmy: No...no, she can't be! There has to be a way to save her!

Smart: I'm afraid not. 

Everyone but the Caring side look towards the Smart side as she speaks. 

Smart: That tank I put her in slowly filled her up with poisonous fumes. At midnight she would be solid. That's why I created those oak doors, so you could escape and see Cindy like that...

She was silent as she thought of how rotten a thing she had done. Everyone else seemed to think that was rotten, too-Jimmy and the other sides. The Smart side tries to explain. 

Smart: But that was when I _wanted _her dead, before the Dark side decided to drain Funny if her powers and I decided against her, but now...

Care: Now it's too late. 

The Smart side stares at the Caring side, and though she looks upset at first, she soon shows she's more sad than disappointed. The Smart side looks to Jimmy with a sincere face. 

Smart: I'm sorry, Jimmy. 

Everyone was silent for so long you wouldn't know anyone was in that room until you looked for yourself. The Caring side looks back to Cindy. 

Care: There is...one way to get her back. 

Jimmy looks up at her eagerly. 

Jimmy: What? Whatever it is, I'll do it!

Care: IIII don't think you will. 

She said her "I"s uncertainly. 

Jimmy: Yes I will! What is it?!

The Caring side looked to Jimmy doubtfully. 

Care: You have to show her you care for her...

Jimmy's eager face disappeared into a realizing one. 

Care:...and because she is not transparent, tears have no effect.

Jimmy thinks about any other possible way to...

Jimmy's mouth opens in silent surprise as the all the other sides besides the Punk giggle. The Punk side snorts a little and tries to hide her laughter. Jimmy shakes his head. 

Jimmy: Oh no...ohhhhhhhh no, no way, never!

The Caring side smiles as the other sides start to laugh uncontrollably. Jimmy pleads with her. 

Jimmy: Isn't there _any _other way?

Care: I thought you would do anything?

She said this with a smile-she knew Jimmy would try to act as though he didn't want to. But just because she's not inside Cindy doesn't mean her senses don't work, and she could sense, in the pit of Jimmy's heart, that he really was willing to do anything to save Cindy. She shrugged.

Care: It's your choice, Jimmy. 

Jimmy stares at her and then to everyone else, who have all stopped laughing, but were still smiling. Then he looks down at Cindy. Her face was pale, and though her eyes were closed gently, she looks like she's sick. Jimmy notices that she isn't breathing. He knows he has to do it, no matter how hard it is, or Cindy may never open her eyes again. He takes a deep breath, bends down, and kisses her on her lips. 

He jumps back as he sees the color start to drain from her face down. Her body starts to glow a dim blue. Everyone stares for a moment...

Funny: CANNONBALL!

The Funny side jumps up, holds her legs like a ball and splashes right into Cindy. When she enters her, the middle of Cindy ripples different colors of blue like water. 

Punk: Well, if I can't strangle Funny while I'm outside, mint as well do it on the inside. 

She runs over, grabs the end of the table with her left hand, flips herself over Cindy and lets go. The Smart side walks up and carefully jumps in, but hold onto the edge for a moment and looks to Jimmy with a smile. 

Smart: It was nice to finally see the person Cindy constantly puts me to work for to beat. 

Jimmy smiles just as the Crazy side jumps in on top of the Smart side with a yellow dinosaur floatie with blue spots. 

Crazy: Weeee!

She jumps in, but frowns as she sees she's floating. She bites down hard on the side and sinks in. 

Girl: Ew. Is this stuff, like, _gooey?_

The Crazy side pops her head up. 

Crazy: C'mon, toots!

She grabs her hand and pulls her in as she squeals in surprise.

Jimmy looks up to see the Caring side unfastening the safety jacket the Dark side is in. Jimmy walks over with the Caring side to watch the Dark side leave. She stops midway and turns her head to them to give one finally scowl with a narrow eyed look. 

Jimmy: Have a nice trip!

Jimmy grins a toothy grin and waves. The Dark side growls like an angry dog, but knew she had no choice as her eyes fell upon the Caring side, who, though she had an expressionless face, had a look of "Go" sternly in her eyes. She turns back, lifts herself up with both hands and slides in. The Caring side turns to Jimmy. 

Care: Tell me why, Jimmy.

Jimmy stares, confused. The Caring side simply smiles. 

Care: Why did you risk your life to save someone who hates you?

Jimmy stares for a moment and looks down to the floor, and in a low voice mumbles...

Jimmy: Because I care.

The Caring side smiles and shakes his hand. She suddenly turns her hand to the right and places her other hand on top of Jimmy's. 

Care: So does she. 

She bends forward and kisses him gently on the cheek. Jimmy feels his face go red and his eyebrows go up in surprise. She lets go of his hand and walks away to the table. Jimmy looks down at his hands to see a beautiful light blue rose with a lush green stem and soft petals. Though there were thorns in the sides, Jimmy saw that they weren't pricking him as he held it. He smiles and looks up to the Caring side to see her go. She stands for a moment in front of Cindy, and then turns slightly to Jimmy. She winks her enchanting eye at him with a gentle smile. And with that, she gently swung her feet onto the table so that they were inside Cindy and pushes off to fall gracefully inside her. 

Cindy stops glowing after a little bit. Jimmy and Carl stare at what has just happened. 

Goddard: Bark!

Jimmy and Carl looks over to see Goddard rushing in. 

Jimmy: Sorry, boy, you missed the Caring side. She already left. 

Goddard whimpers and lowers his ears, but perks them up surprisingly as a flash of blue light appears behind them. Jimmy and Cark whirl around only to see a metal bone on the floor. They smile as Goddard rushes over to devour it. 

Suddenly, shouts are heard from above. Jimmy looks at Carl, who's already looking at him with the same scared face.

Jimmy

Carl : The search party!

Carl: What should we do?

Jimmy: Well, we don't wanna blow our cover-we better take Cindy with us and tell them we found her. 

Carl: You think they'll believe us?

Jimmy: They'll be so happy we found her they wouldn't have time to ponder on how we found her. In the meantime, I'll think up a story incase they ask. 

Carl: Ok.

Jimmy rushes over to Cindy, who was still transparent, and found that he didn't need Carl's help-Cindy was amazingly light. Carl stares as Jimmy walks over with Cindy in his arms. 

Jimmy: When you're transparent, you tent to not weigh a lot.

As the shouts get closer, Jimmy and Carl walk over to a set of metal doors with the hazard sign on them and quickly make their way outside.

****

Part 8-Cover Up

As Jimmy reaches the back yard his heart drops. Sobs are heard from out front; one Jimmy figured to be Mrs. Vortex, and the other he recognized as Mrs. Neutron's. He looks sadly to the wooden gate, wishing he could run out there and hug here and tell her everything that had happened. But he knew that was suicide-if his mom or Mrs. Vortex ever knew he used Cindy as a test subject, he'd be grounded until the next ice age. Jimmy kneels on the ground, unable to hold Cindy any longer and afraid he was gonna drop her and cause her more damage than he already had. He stares at her and sighs-she hadn't regained her color yet, and seeing her so helpless wasn't making his situation any better, especially if his parents saw her laying there in front of him like a ghost. Carl came up behind Jimmy, panting. 

Carl: What'r you doing? Aren't you gonna go tell them what happened?

Jimmy looks at him in disbelief. Carl waves his hands and shakes his head. 

Carl: No, not about the Personhility Whatever-whatsit thing! I thought you were gonna tell them we found Cindy somewhere...

His voice trials off Jimmy looks down to Cindy and Carl follows his gaze with his own. Cindy looks the same, but Jimmy looks like he's waiting for something. He had picked up Cindy's shoulders in his arms and was staring at her like she had just spit fire. Carl looks to Jimmy with a confused face, but Jimmy doesn't notice. His hands had suddenly gotten warm, and the next thing he knew, in the middle of Carl's sentence, he felt his whole body go warm, like the sun makes you feel on the beach. He felt as if his troubles were being drained right out of him and being replaced with warmth, and though he didn't understand it, Jimmy had a sense that it was a good sign.

The wind blows gently, and Jimmy swore he heard faint whispers on the night air as Cindy's blue, transparent color starts to fade away. Jimmy doesn't even breath as he watches Cindy's color come back to her as the blue color fades. Her hair turns it's natural blonde and her skin turns back to it's peach color, no longer pale and sick-looking. Jimmy held his breath as he watches to see what would happen next. All of a sudden, Cindy takes a deep breath, sucking up as much air as she can, it been so long since she'd breathed. She lets it out slowly and opens her eyes all the way without the least bit of weariness, like she had just taken a short nap. At first she sees Carl, but as her eyesight gets clearer she sees Jimmy right above her, looking worried above her. She looks to him with a confused look. 

Cindy: What happened?

Jimmy laughs a little with a smile as he's finally able to breathe-he'd never been so happy to see those green eyes and hear that voice...actually, he thought, he'd _never _been happy to see _or _hear Cindy, but he found that seeing her alive and safe made him happy, and he wasn't about to argue with it. 

The wooden gate door suddenly opened with a BANG! Everyone looks up and squints as someone points a flashlight at them. 

Voice: ...Jimmy?

Jimmy: Mom?

Mom: James! Oh my gosh, I thought you were dead!

She rushes over to him and bends down with them as people soon come to the gate and follow her. She gasps as she sees Cindy. 

Mrs. Neutron: Cindy! We've been looking everywhere for you! Are you hurt?

Cindy: No, no, I'm fine-

Voice: Cindy!

They look up to see Mrs. Vortex rush over and take her from Jimmy's arms, hugging here tight. Jimmy stand just in time to see Carl run over and greet his parents out front. 

Mrs. Vortex: Why would you go off like that and not tell me? You got me so worried!

Cindy: I'm sorry, mom. I guess I shoulda-

Mrs. Vortex: Don't be sorry! I'm just glad your safe. 

Mrs. Neutron looks to Jimmy. 

Mrs. Neutron: _You _have some explaining to do, James. Why were you back here with Cindy, anyway? Number one, I thought I grounded you, and number two, it's one in the morning!

Jimmy: Well...we were just...ah-

Cindy: It was my fault, Mrs. Neutron.

They all look towards her, surprised-especially Jimmy. 

Cindy: I was gonna try to climb those cliffs down there by that river, and Jimmy told me he thought it was a bad idea, but I didn't listen. I climbed up there anyway and slipped. I guess I was knocked out because I juts opened my eyes to you guys and the last time I could see was the daytime. Jimmy and Carl came down and gut me. If they hadn't come, I dunno what wouldda happened. 

Jimmy stares at her in disbelief. She juts lied for him so he wouldn't get in trouble. Mrs. Vortex looks down at Cindy with disappointment and puts her hand on her shoulders.

Mrs. Vortex: I told you to _never _go down there by yourself! What if you fell in the river unconscious? You could have been killed!

Cindy hears the tone of tears in her voice. She tries to assure her. 

Cindy: It's ok, mom, I'm fine. 

She hugs her and her mom hugs her back. Jimmy crosses his arms and smiles. 

Mrs. Vortex: Well, you better thank everybody who helped look for you, and you must be dead tired.

Cindy: Naw, not really. 

Jimmy knew that was a downright lie. Every since Cindy first spoke she sounded tired, even though she had been unconscious. Jimmy figured her personality was still trying to sort itself out, and it was causing Cindy to get sleepy. 

Mrs. Vortex: Go on and see your father, will you? He's having a fit because he think you were kidnapped by eco terrorist. 

Cindy rolls her eyes with a smile and walks over and out the gate, and soon she was surrounded by the search party and was being showered with questions. Mrs. Vortex watched her go and then turned to Mrs. Neutron with a smile. 

Mrs. Vortex: Thank you so much, Judy. 

Mrs. Neutron: Oh, likewise, when we found out Jimmy was missing, I knew how you felt. 

Mrs. Vortex: Yup, it was scary, but it seems like everything's alright now.

She looks down to Jimmy. 

Mrs. Vortex: I dunno what happened here, but it seems like you're the hero. Thank you, Jimmy. 

Jimmy: No problem, Mrs. Vortex. 

Mrs. Vortex: Well, I better get going. 

Mrs. Neutron: Yes, and you too, Jimmy, it's a school night.

Jimmy followed his mom out front to the search party. Flashlights were being turned off and people were going home, saying one last good-bye to the Vortex family. Mr. Neutron walked over with a smile and ruffled Jimmy's hair to show he cared, and with last words of gratitude the Vortexes start across the street home. Jimmy was the last one to reach the door to his house, and before he went inside he turned his head. To his surprise Cindy was already looking at him, but as soon as she caught his eye she looked surprised herself and quickly went inside. Jimmy did the same. 

School was different the next day. Everyone was dying to hear what happened to Cindy, and it seemed as though only Sheen knew that Jimmy was reported missing, too, but Jimmy didn't mind. He watched with pleasure as Cindy fought her way through gossipers in the hall, and when she wouldn't spit out her story they decided to make one for her. First she was kidnapped, then she fell into a deep cave, and then the story turned into she was abducted and _dumped _into a cave. But the ending was always the same: Jimmy Neutron found her and brought her back. Cindy hated that part. 

When the final bell went off, Cindy figured she'd walk home to avoid everyone on the bus, and Jimmy. She still hadn't thanked him, but she needed more time to think of something to say. She starts down one road to her house just as Jimmy came out and decides he would walk home to avoid Cindy on the bus. He still hadn't explained to her what had happened, and he didn't know how to tell her he decided to use her as a test subject. So he starts down another road to his house. 

Jimmy walks home with his head bowed all the way to his street, deep in thought. Cindy does the same, and when they raise their heads to turn onto their street they look right at one another. Jimmy stares for a moment, and they both look down to the ground at same time. 

Cindy: Hey Jim.

Jimmy: Hi Cindy.

Cindy: I've been thinking. 

Jimmy: That makes two of us. 

Cindy walks over and starts to walk beside him. 

Cindy: You know, I dunno what happened last night, but my mom thought I was dead and my dad was convinced there were eco terrorists running loose. 

Jimmy laughs a little and Cindy smiles. 

Cindy: What happened? How long could I possible have been missing for them to think I was dead?

Jimmy: A while. It was my fault, Cindy, I tried this machine thing on you-

Cindy: I remember that part.

She gave him a scornful look. 

Jimmy: Well, it went wrong, and I didn't want to get in trouble so I tried to fix what I had done, but in the process I was late for supper and got grounded for a week. 

He looks to her thoughtfully. 

Jimmy: Speaking of getting in trouble, why did you tell your mom that story about the cliff? You knew that wasn't what happened. 

Cindy: Yeah, well, I figured if I was alive after your machine went haywire you must have had to go through a lot of trouble to get me back to normal.

Jimmy thought about the Dark side's blade coming inches from his face and shrugged.

Jimmy: Naw, it wasn't that big of a deal. 

They stop as they reach their houses, but instead Jimmy turns to Cindy. 

Jimmy: I couldn't help it, I had to tell my parents what really happened with the machine. 

Cindy: And...?

Jimmy: I'm grounded for the rest of my life.

Cindy: Me too. My mom was so upset I "went"-

She bends two fingers on each hand to show quotation marks.

Cindy:-to the cliffs alone, I thought she was gonna pop. 

They were silent for a few minutes, looking at the ground...

Jimmy: Actually I'm only grounded for two weeks. 

Cindy: That makes two of us. 

She smiles as Jimmy smiles back. 

Jimmy: I better go. 

Cindy: Yeah, me too. 

They turn to go back home. Suddenly Cindy stops and turns around in the street. 

Cindy: Hey Neutron!

Jimmy turns to show her he heard. 

Cindy: Psycho Cops' coming out in two weeks. You could get Carl and Sheen, and I could get Libby. We could all to go together...if you wanted.

Jimmy stares for a minute-did Cindy actually just invite him and the guys to the movies? He smiles. 

Jimmy: Sure. 

Cindy smiles. 

Cindy: Cool. C-ya later, Jim. 

Jimmy: C-ya, Cindy.

He turns and goes inside at the same time that the baker from the bakery that the Funny side wrecked comes whipping around the corner and points a finger at Cindy. 

Baker: There she is! That's the girl who ruined my shop!

Cindy stares but doesn't have time to reply as the manager of the Candy Bar comes marching up the street from the other side. 

Candy Bar: She covered my windows with pink nail polish! 26 bottles of remover and it _still_ left a stain! 

A man comes up behind him with a suit and tie on, looking important. 

Man: And she's the one who destroyed that old house! That was a historical landmark, young lady! 

Cindy stares as they start shouting angry words at her from all directions. She looks confused at first, but suddenly she grits her teeth and growls. 

Cindy: NEUTRON!

** THE END**


	2. Please read!

****

Hello! ^^ This is Kickbutt 297! No, this is not a new chapter to the story you just read. T-T However, the reason for my lack of stories on FF.Net and the reasons why I never really got around to writing my Artemis Fowl fic "Falcon X" and my Inuyasha fic "The Golden Hanyou" is because I've been busy with my own unique story! My own SPAWN! HAHAHA! *cough* HAHAHA! So, if you liked this story and you don't mind detail in bloody scenes, and if you're interested, please read my story on FICTION PRESS.COM called "The Guardians Of Skykel". Just go to Seach and type in the title, and you should find it. Also, if you like my story, you should check out these stories as well: "Gin Hoseki" by Kurai-Hoshi, "Midnight Angel" by AoiJidai, and "Battle For The Dimensions" by purplesinger, when she finally posts it. Not posted yet. ()^^ If you read all of them together, I think you'll start to get the picture why I suggest them... *wink wink*

~~~~~The Guardians of Skykel is about a angel named Akira, one of the top ranking archers in Skykel's elite force, the Guardian Angels. But, when an ancient prophecy starts to come true, and with her being the only one believing in it, it's up too our fearless angel and her constantly drunk demon partner to to collect seven mysterious Somuku stones and tip the scale of the ancient God Seishoku, the Balance of War and Peace. Of course, should they fail, the hatred and darkness that would befall the planet of Anora would be devastating indeed.~~~~~

Ta da! ^^ Of course, there's more characters than just the angel and the demon, but I can't give it away. In additon, I'm also still trying to work out my storyline so it's not TOO confusing. ~-^ Also one hell of an ending. [I LOVE suspense and surprise endings! ^^] Wanna know about those wavy arrows? READ AND FIND OUT! *mechanical laughter* So please, if you're interested, read and review my story! Arigato! ^^

-KICKBUTT 297! =D


End file.
